Ensnared
by freakyanimegal
Summary: CruLloyd? That idiot, Kratos, taking the attack meant for his inferior rat of a son. He couldn't allow Origin's seal to weaken, but his only other option was...a mana transfer. Hm, perhaps it was a good thing that the boy lived after all... Cover pic by Asatsuyu
1. Chapter 1

**Well.... I told Sage of Spirits I'd do it so...here it is? n.n' This is going to be another one of my shorter ones (hopefully) but I do hope you'll **

**enjoy it all the same. n.n**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**I just finished 'Growth Spurt', TODAY, and here I go again...-_-'...Sigh...**

**Colette: That's okay! n.n**

**Me: You're back? O.o**

**Colette: ...Is that okay?**

**Me:...Fine, you're an amusing enough muse.**

**Colette: That sounded funny! n.n**

**Me:...I'm using Raine next time...though I think I already did...**

"Kratos, I trust you have no objections?"

Kratos attempted to say something, but no words found their way out from his being. Lloyd lay in heap before him, directly before the path of

the magic his boss was about to send hurling at the already gravely injured young male. Objections? Of course he had objections! His only son,

his child, his baby was laying (as he had so ironically put it) at death's door. He couldn't stay quiet, he couldn't just stand here! What was he

doing!? He had to object, he had to protest, he had to beg, threaten...whatever it took. He had to do whatever it took to save his son-

"Farewell,"

Kratos saw the magic leave from Yggdrasill's fingertips.

Heading right for his son.

For his son.

His son.

NO!

Using his mana, Kratos quickly warped right before Lloyd, taking the devastating hit to his back.

"Kratos-!"

The look on Yggdrasill's face was a twisted one, curled in rage and betrayal. How dare he! How dare that foolish human get in his way?! That

was enough to even kill Kratos! If he died...the seal...!

"...Kr...?"

Lloyd's eyes barely fluttered open in time to see Kratos on his knees before him, his breathing harsh and choppy as blood began to seep from

his mouth and ears. The teen gaped in shock as the Seraph's lips slowly curled into a smile while he panted, his eyes glinting.

"You're all right..." he whispered.

Then he collapsed forward onto Lloyd's shoulders.

"K-kratos-!!" Lloyd gaped. "Kratos-!? Why-!? What-!?"

"You STUPID human-!!" Yggdrasill shouted.

Just then several fireballs came hurling at the blond megalomaniac, causing him to leap back. Renegades ran in and grabbed the chosen, her

companions, and headed for the wounded Lloyd. Mithos would have none of that. They had their hands on the Chosen, so be it, but if the

father was gone, or near gone, he WOULD have the son. He warped before the Aurion pair and blasted the oncoming Renegades, giving a

snort before glancing behind him at Lloyd as he tried to get a response from the fallen warrior. Lloyd looked up and locked his brown eyes with

Yggdrasill's cold green ones, feeling as if ice was trickling down his spine.

"You got lucky," Mithos hissed.

There was a flash of light when Lloyd found himself on the cold stone floor of Welgaia, gaping like an idiot at the sight of 'Heaven' and its

soulless inhabitants right before he too lost consciousness.

* * *

Yggdrasill snarled as he read the bio-stats, glancing at the screen before glaring back at the unresponsive Kratos that lay in a large machine of

sorts that was covered with a dome, warm green healing light coursing through it and glowing faintly in the room.

"Report!" he snapped at an angel underling.

"Lord Kratos' body is failing, Lord Yggdrasill," it stated, its eyes blank and voice monotone, "Ninety-nine percent chance of his death in the next

few hours."

Mithos swore and resisted the urge to blast something. Damn it all! He needed Kratos alive! If he wasn't then Origin's seal would falter...he

couldn't allow that! But if the finest healing magic and techniques available in EXISTENCE were not going to help, what could he possibly do? He

glanced at the half-dead Kratos again and snarled. No good. If Kratos' mana was released-

Wait.

"...Heh...heheheh..."

A wicked smirk rapidly grew into a grin on the tyrant's face.

"What about the boy Lloyd?" he asked.

"The human is stable and will recover, Lord Yggdrasill,"

If Kratos' MANA was released the seal would break...

Now see, here was the funny thing about mana... Mana was the essence of something as well as the constructive bits. For example, if Kratos

did die his bodily mana would be gone, however...this was where a delicious loophole had kicked in. The 'essence' mana would best be

described as someone's...well, essence, the soul if you will. Like an astral body, how Martel still 'lived' in the great seed. She was still aware,

her mind was alive, but her body was dead. If there was nothing he could do to prevent the loss of Kratos' bodily mana, so be it. However...if

the essence mana was still intact, it would be enough to keep the seal intact, though granted it would be weaker. In order to keep the

essence mana...it would need a host, just like his sister did. Unluckily, there was only one other person that could possibly be close enough to

Kratos' bodily mana signature to harbor his essence; Luckily, that person was an unconscious brunette boy resting in another contraption but

feet from him.

"...Execute a mana transfer," he smirked, "now."

"Between who, my Lord?"

"Kratos Aurion to Lloyd Irv-"

He stopped and eyed Lloyd again.

"Lloyd Aurion,"

"As you wish, Lord Yggdrasill,"

The half-elf smirked.

Excellent. Now he just had to hope for the best.

* * *

Kratos grimaced, feeling his eyelids twitch. Slowly he managed to open his eyes and look out above him. Blurs of green, blues and purples filled

his vision before they came into focus...a green glow, glass around him, purple outside... Derris-Kharlan. He was in a health resuscitator in

Derris-Kharlan. ...Wait! Where was Lloyd-!?

"Can you hear me, Kratos?"

He directed his attention to the side to see Mithos looking down at him.

"Nod once if you can hear me, Kratos,"

Kratos glared at him a minute before he nodded briskly.

"Do you want to know where your son is?"

His glare intensified before he nodded again.

"...Release him," Mithos smirked.

The green light around him dimmed before the glass slid off to the side, allowing him to sit upright.

"What did you do to Ll-!? ..."

Kratos stopped when he realized something was very wrong. One, his voice didn't usually sound like that, and two...behind Mithos in yet

another machine was...him...self...? Kratos' eyes went wide as he processed the sight. He...was laying over there? But...

"That was foolish of you to take that attack," Mithos snorted, crossing his arms, "look what you've gone and done to your body. You're lucky I

was able to complete that mana transfer..."

Mana transfer...? B-but...wait, if he had done a mana transfer...and his body was over there... That must mean he was in someone else's body.

But if he was in somebody else's body...impossible! The only person he could possibly be compatible with was-

...Lloyd.

"I see you've realized it,"

Kratos quickly looked down at himself. Red. He was wearing all red, his hands were gloved in red, his boots were red, suspenders crossed a

red shirt. Oh no...

Lloyd!

"What did you do!?" Kratos shouted. "Why did you do this?!"

"No need to get upset-"

"What did you do to my son!? Where did you put him if I'm-!?"

"In there with you, I'd imagine," Yggdrasill glared, "we didn't have time to remove his soul, so he should be...sharing. Though I doubt he'll have

any control..."

"You... You-!" Kratos snarled. "I didn't want this! What made you think I would want to take his freedom!?"

"I was afraid you'd react like this," Mithos sighed, "it makes this...difficult."

"I-" Kratos started.

"Listen, you are my Origin seal, I won't allow you to perish," he glared, "this was my only option. You will just have to make due with his body

until yours is healed."

"And what if I refuse to stay in here?" Kratos glared.

"Then I'll put you back in your own body and kill the boy,"

The Seraph jolted.

"You will do as I say, and you will continue to serve me," Yggdrasill hissed, "or I will kill your precious little baby boy, understood? I know you'd

put up a fight, but we all know you wouldn't be able to get out of it without severely injuring _Lloyd's _body."

Kratos gritted his teeth but remained silent. Mithos would do it, he knew he would. He couldn't risk doing anything that would anger him, or

else Lloyd would be the one to suffer...

"Do we have an understanding?" Mithos smirked.

"...Yes," Kratos said in defeat.

"Good, you can go back to your quarters, I'll have some suitable clothing sent and we'll have to activate the exsphere," the half-elf said as his

eyes went to Lloyd's left hand.

Kratos covered it.

"You want to make him an angel!?" he hissed.

"What other choice do I have?"

"No, I won't allow you to do that to him-"

"Do _you_ have a choice?"

Kratos stopped, unable to summon the words to speak.

"...You will make him an angel, you will use him, or I will kill him," Mithos glared, "understood?"

A long silence reigned.

"...Understood,"

"Good, now get going, I'll send for you later,"

Kratos closed his eyes in defeat and slid off of the table, walking toward the door while trying not to clench Lloyd's fists. That slimy, conniving,

TWISTED little half-elf! What could he possibly be thinking!? This was nothing but another problem...a big one. He looked at Lloyd's hand as he

headed through Welgaia. Lloyd...he wanted to save him, not enslave him-

_Wha...?_

Kratos stopped, having heard the word inside his mind.

"..."

_What the...? Why can't I...?_

The Seraph paled and then braced himself, knowing what was coming.

_Wh-what?! Why can't I move-!? Where am I!? What's going on!?_

"Lloyd..." Kratos said slowly.

_WHAT THE HELL!? Did-?! Who the hell are you!? How are you controlling me!?_

"..." Kratos choked, "I..."

_What's going on!? Who are you?! Where am I!? WHAT THE HELL IS-!?_

"Calm down and I'll explain-"

_You expect me to CALM DOWN!? What's your problem-!?_

"This is Kratos, we're on Derris-Kharlan, Yggdrasill put me in your body,"

Silence.

_Say WHAT?!_

"After the tower of salvation-"

_You MOTHER-FUCKER!!!_

Kratos visibly flinched as the world around him faded away and he found himself facing Lloyd...as....Lloyd. The surroundings weren't

exactly..actually, they were hard to describe. It was...nothing. Not black or white, it was...nothing. Then suddenly Welgaia sprang up around

them...but nothing was moving. The already usually soulless beings were motionless, the ramps and half-opened doors stopping in their

positions. Lloyd gasped.

"What the hell just-?!"

Kratos stared at him and quickly looked down at himself...and looked just like Lloyd.

"I...you!" Lloyd pointed at him. "What's going on-!? Why-!?"

"As of what's going on this second, I would say I'm not quite sure," Kratos stated, "as for the rest of it...as I said, after the Tower of Salvation

Yggdrasill put me in your body."

Lloyd gaped at him.

"The...the tower... Wait! Where are my friends?! Where's Colette?!"

"I don't know," Kratos admitted.

"You don't-!? YOU DON'T KNOW!?"

Lloyd grabbed...'himself' by the collar.

"You know where they are, don't lie to me! You back-stabbing two-faced-!!"

He stopped abruptly, seeing as a thought had just struck him.

"...You...saved me..." he whispered slowly, not blinking.

"..." Kratos stared back at him.

"...In the Tower you...you saved me..."

Lloyd's expression slowly turned into one of frustration and anger, his grip tightening.

"Why did you-!? Why did you save me!?"

"...I..."

And then, just as suddenly as it had happened, the world blacked out...before it sprang back to life. ...Or, what was 'life' for Welgaia. Kratos

was alone again and he looked around, shocked. The world was going on about its business again...but where had-?

_Woah, okay, now that was weird._

Kratos gave a brief sigh of relief.

_Why did you just sigh like that?_

"I didn't," Kratos said.

_Yes you did! Because I did! I felt it! It's my body!_

"...You can still feel?"

_Yeah-...wait...okay, move your arm- my arm- the arm!_

Slowly Kratos moved 'his' arm up and to the side.

_Woah...I can feel it. It...it feels like I'm moving but...but I'm not. It's not listening to me, but when you moved I can feel it... It feels like I'm doing it, _

_but I'm not...it's...so weird..._

"...We'll talk more in a minute,"

Kratos headed straight for his quarters, ignoring Lloyd's rapid questions, accusations and protests all the while. Once he entered the building

which served as his 'home' he closed the door and let out a loud, exasperated sigh. Still ignoring Lloyd's voice he made a beeline for his room,

laying down onto the mattress with yet another sigh.

_What is this place? Do you live here?_

Kratos nodded.

_...Why is everyone-?_

"Angels? Why are they all angels? ...It's Welgaia, the capital of Derris-Kharlan...Cruxis' main base."

_Those are angels? ...But they're all...so...dead._

He nodded again.

_...Why am I your new body again?_

"...Mine was damaged and Yggdrasill apparently thought it would be a good idea to put me in you," he muttered.

_Why the hell would he use me, then?!_

"..."

_...You like not telling me anything, don't you? Figures, traitor wouldn't bother with it..._

Kratos winced, feeling as if he had been stabbed.

_...I...I'm sorry. _

The Seraph's eyes widened.

"Excuse me?"

_...You...you felt really hurt by that just now, didn't you? ...You...felt REALLY bad..._

"...Don't pay any attention to it,"

_...Kratos, what's...? Why did you save me?_

"..."

_Okay, fine, don't tell me. _

"...Lloyd, I'm afraid I'm going to have to use you for a while," Kratos sighed, "I-"

_And what about after that? What if you go back to your own body?_

Kratos stopped. Oh no...he hadn't thought about that... Yggdrasill wouldn't kill him, right? No, he wouldn't let him...but then what would he do

to him? He felt a distinct sinking feeling as he realized what had happened: Lloyd was trapped. Even if he got his own body back, Mithos would

never leave him alone after that...

He had gotten his son trapped in Cruxis.

_...Hey, are you okay?_

Okay? No, of course he wasn't okay...

There was a knock on the door.

"...Come in," Kratos said using Lloyd's voice.

An angel drone floated in, a bundle of some sort in its arms.

"Lord Yggdrasill ordered I deliver these," it said, placed it on a shelf, then left.

_...Okay, now that was just freaking creepy._

Kratos sighed again.

_...What is it?_

Kratos walked over and picked up the bundle of...clothing?

"...This must be what he meant,"

_Clothes? _

"Yggdrasill wouldn't approve if I served him wearing what you do," Kratos explained.

_Huh-? Wait- EW! No! No way! You are not changing me! That is sick! Sick!_

"Believe me, I'm rather uncomfortable with this situation as well..." he spat, face dark.

_No! NO NO NO! You are not taking my clothes off! And your certainly not making me wear- wear whatever that is! ...What is it anyway? Some kind of _

_Cruxis uniform or something...?_

The white material resembled a style in Meltokio known as 'Nobleman', if Kratos' memory served correctly, though there were some minor

alterations in the form of gold insignia works up and down the sleeves and pantlegs, and the addition of one or two more belts. Not nearly as

many as Kratos' usual Cruxis-garb, but enough to see a relation.

_...Spiffy, _Lloyd said.

"Hmph, well...unless we want to anger Yggdrasill-"

_You are NOT going to-!_

"Think about it, how long will that work? Your body is going to have to relieve itself eventually, and then of course there is the matter of

bathing..." Kratos grimaced.

_EW-! _

"It won't work, look...I'm about as happy as this as you are," he sighed, "but if it makes you feel any better I will do any such actions as quickly

as possible so as not to bother you."

_...I hate you._

He sighed for the fiftieth time that minute.

"I'll be quick..."

So after a rapid change of clothes (and more grumbles of discontent remarks from Lloyd) Kratos turned to the full length mirror to see how

Lloyd looked in such apparel.

"..."

Surprisingly, the clothing seemed to suit him very well... Strange.

_...This sucks, I don't want to wear some damn Cruxis thing..._

"...You look good in it though,"

_Well yeah, I do, but- Hey!_

"It was a compliment,"

_Yeah yeah, whatever, just don't be going flirting with people in my body!_

"Trust me, that isn't likely to happen,"

It was then that the door opened and Yggdrasill strutted in with two angel underlings.

"Hm, I see they fit, good," he said.

Kratos glared at his former student, doing is best not to snap out a curse of some sort.

_That's the guy who-! The BASTARD! I want to-! But I...DAMMIT!_

"Is he giving you any resistance?" Yggdrasill asked.

"...Lord Yggdrasill, when I'm returned to my own body, what-?"

"What will we do with Lloyd? Not kill him, if that's what you're worried about," Mithos shrugged nonchalantly, "depending on circumstances, we

may just lock him up here..."

"But-" Kratos started.

"I see where this is going, fine then..." Mithos frowned, "I'll make you a deal, as long as you do not give me any difficulty through out this whole

thing, I'll release Lloyd as soon as you're returned to your own body, are we at an understanding?"

"...You promise you'll let him go?" Kratos said.

"I'll give him the freedom to go anywhere he wants," Yggdrasill said.

"...All right then," Kratos said slowly.

_...I don't like this..._

"Good, now..." he took a small object from an angel, "let's get on with this, shall we?"

_Get on with this? Get on with what? What is that thing?_

"Remove the key crest," Yggdrasill pointed at the exsphere on Lloyd's hand.

"What-? But-" Kratos started.

"Are you going back on your word already, Kratos? I may not be able to guarantee Lloyd's freedom if this keeps up..."

"..."

Kratos hastily removed the key crest, Yggdrasill taking it and attaching the object to the exsphere. The object was in fact, another key crest,

but a rather unusual looking one.

"Now re-attach it to _your _hand," he hissed, handing it back.

Kratos flinched and Lloyd scowled in spirit as the Seraph took the crystal back, looking at the strange key-crest that was serving as the mount.

It had a intricate, almost insignia-like pattern to it with some parts stretching out from the center, giving it a shape similar to Colette's Cruxis

crystal.

_...Wait, what are you doing? What is that going to do? What's going on?_

Kratos swallowed in an attempt not sigh in defeat, holding the exsphere over the bare back of Lloyd's hand. It hovered there, centimeters

above the skin while Kratos desperately tried to think of a way out of this. He couldn't take Lloyd's humanity, he couldn't condemn him to the so

called 'life' of an angel...but...

But it was either that, or any chance of a life at all would be taken from him.

_What are you-!?_

Kratos placed the crystal on his hand.

_What the-?! AAAAARRRGGGHHH!_

Kratos did his best not to shout long with Lloyd as he fell onto the ground, his heart beating frantically withing his chest. His head was

pounding, his heart was thumping, his eardrums were beating against the outside of his skull and his back...His back-!

"GAH!" Kratos finally let out a sound of pain.

He hit the cold stone floor and Yggdrasill smirked in satisfaction.

"That will do," he nodded, "you can rest for the rest of the day. I'll expect you tomorrow."

With that, the Cruxis leader and his minions simply left the Aurion to stagger back onto his feet, panting. He glanced over his shoulder and his

eyes widened.

_What the HELL did you do to me?!_

The wings were beautiful. Bird-like, almost, like an eagle, but still bearing the mana-sculpted structure as Kratos' own wings glimmering with a

beautiful emerald and sapphire hue. Rather large, actually, now that he thought about it. Small enough where they wouldn't be a hindrance in

battle, but large enough to look imposing and dare he say it...divine.

_W-wings-?! How did you-!? Huh-!?_

"Your exsphere was called the 'angelus' project for a reason," Kratos said.

_Say WHAT-!? You mean I- my exsphere would've made me grow wings?!_

Kratos nodded.

"Eventually, yes," he admitted, "this just sped up the process..."

_I...Wait. If you...what are you going to be doing, using me?_

"..."

_...Dammit, answer me!_

"I don't know,"

_Wha-!? W-well fine then, then tell me why you saved me, at least._

"..."

_...Tell me, you've already- there's nothing else you can take from me, so-_

"I didn't want you to die," Kratos answered simply.

_...But why? That doesn't...why would you care?_

"...I have my reasons," he said softly.

_You're hiding something._

"Yes, but I also hid the fact I was a Cruxis Seraph, and you never figured it out so I don't have need to worry."

_I hate you._

"...I know," Kratos said slowly.

And with the things Yggdrasill was likely to order him to do, Lloyd was bound to hate him even more. ...Though...he couldn't be cruel enough to

do something...like that, would he?

_...Are you okay? You feel...scared_

Oh dear mother of mana...yes, he was cruel enough to do that.

He was.

_...Kratos...?_

Back in Mithos' 'throne room' of sorts, he cackled as he thought out his plan. Maybe this was a good thing, if it all played in his favor not only

would he have Kratos under his thumb, but the boy as well. Oh, he would give Lloyd a choice like he said he would...but once he had 'Lloyd'

break the hearts of his friends, there was little chance the boy would have the heart to go back.

Perfect.

**Evil? What makes you think I'm evil? D:**

**Colette:...T.T...**

**Me: ...Merry Christmas? Now, I need a candycane-**

**Colette: But you just had-**

**Me: CANDYCANE! NOW! (Runs off to get candycane)**

**Colette: (Sigh)...Merry Christmas, and please review! n.n'**


	2. Chapter 2

**Capitulo dos, n.n Sklee.**

**Colette: ...Cappy...what? O.o**

**Me: Er...n.n' I own nothing.**

**Colette: ...Please enjoy? n.n'**

**Merry Christmas, n.n I updated for a present..n.n' A cheapskate, I know...**

Kratos found himself...asleep. He noted the fact dully, as he had began to dream he was walking around aimlessly through a thick fog. For a

minute he was surprised before he realized that Lloyd had yet to lose his ability to sleep, so naturally he would-...dream? He wandered around

before he caught sight of what he could only describe as a clearing, a part where the mist was gone. Curious, he walked further toward the

clear spot and then stopped. It was like he was looking into a bubble, a bubble where a little world of its own went on. Inside the bubble, a

scene played as a small child ran about, laughing...Lloyd. Kratos felt himself choke as the mini-Lloyd ran up to a tall figure.

"Daddy!" the child cried.

Kratos could hardly keep himself from shaking as the figure turned, nothing more than a silhouette. A tall man with broad shoulders and

strange hair, his face in shadow as was the rest of his body.

"...This is..." Kratos whispered.

"What are you doing?!"

He jolted to the side, coming face to face with the teenage Lloyd's angered expression.

"L-?"

"Stop looking at my dreams!!"

Kratos' eyes snapped open-...or rather, Lloyd's did. Kratos sat up in the bed, his breathing choppy and forced as a result of having woken up

so suddenly. What had just happened? Why-?

_Y-you shouldn't be so surprised, what did you think I'd do?_

"...You were having a dream...and I saw it?" Kratos muttered, wondering about the implications of this.

_I...I'm guessing? S-since...this is going on, I guess we'd share dreams too..._

"...And you're certain that was your dream?"

_Of course-! I...I mean..._

Kratos felt a sinking feeling in his chest, a curious desire to know...yet...fear to ask.

_...I've had that dream before, _Lloyd said.

Kratos gasped slightly.

_That's what you wanted to ask, right? ...I know it was my dream because I've had it before..._

"...I see..."

Kratos sat there in the unlit room, the glowing violet hue of Derris-Kharlan out the window penetrating the light in his chambers, giving all the

furniture a slight unearthly hint of color. The room was decorated according to his rank, not anything he had done. It was too fancy for Lloyd's

tastes...and too...cold. Too devoid of the warming sight of wood, and the pleasing sight and scents of the plants in his own room back home...

"...I-" Kratos started.

_Look, I-...I know this is kind of weird, but you don't have to say you're sorry. ...I...I can tell you feel guilty. I'm not sure if it's about this, or if it's about _

_betraying us-_

He jolted again.

_...Okay, both, but..you just don't have to say it. I know. ...As weird as it sounds._

"...I see," Kratos stated.

That dream...

"It was...about your father?" Kratos said, straining to keep his emotions under control.

_W-what?! Y-yeah- Look, it's none of your business, just stay out of my dreams!_

"...I'll try, I apologize," he said.

_...O...okay._

"...Well, I-...we should get going, Yggdrasill must be expecting us,"

_Ugh...do we have to?_

"Yes,"

Lloyd mumbled complaints as Kratos stood up and then checked 'his' appearance to be presentable in the mirror. After making sure there were

no wrinkles and everything else was in order, he nodded and then turned for the door-

_Hey wait, what about my swords?_

"Pardon?"

_I uh...just realized, kinda, but...my swords are gone._

"I assume Yggdrasill removed them from you when he brought you here..."

_Well then, what about yours? I mean, you're supposed to have one, right?_

"I'm certain that's one thing we're about to deal with,"

The door slid open with a 'woosh' as he stepped out into Welgaia. A few mindless angels floated by, not a trace of life in their eyes, their wings

constantly flapping at the same, repetitive intervals...

_P...Please, look away..._

Kratos complied easily. He was not too fond of looking upon the grunts either. With that he started off for the main transporter, all the while

Lloyd began asking questions again.

_You can see the stars from up here? Where exactly IS here? Is this on Tethe'alla?_

"No, Derris-Kharlan is not on either world," Kratos explained, "it's...a different planet."

_Say what?_

"...It is a planet that hovers above the worlds," he stated, "so it is in a sense another world."

_...Does all of it look like this?_

"Mostly,"

_...And you LIVE up here...?_

"...Yes,"

_...No wonder you are such a cold guy..._

"Hmph,"

As he neared the transporter, the angel guard stopped him.

"Identification," it said simply.

_Identa what?_

Kratos swore to himself. Of course...he didn't have any yet, and not all of the angels would know about the...circumstance, quite yet. Hm...then,

he'd have to either wait or find a way-

"...Lord Aurion, I apologize," it bowed, then moved aside.

"...You're forgiven," Kratos said simply as he walked forward.

_Woah- what? Why did-?_

"The angels learn things through...signals, you could say," Kratos stated, "it most likely just received a signal about how to react in that

situation."

_...Huh?_

"You'll come to understand,"

_Why did he call you 'Lord Aurion'?_

"Aurion is my last name," Kratos stated.

Strange, though...usually he was called by his first name. Then, Mithos could be compromising the situation by taking the name that was both

his...and Lloyd's, though he didn't know it...

_What's wrong? You're worried about something._

Kratos growled slightly to himself. He'd have to do better to control his emotions...

"We're here,"

_We're-? HOLY SNAP!_

Mithos castle was large, and quite astonishing to a newcomer, after all. The ceiling was high, the design intricate and...cold. ...That and the

giant guard dragon may have thrown him for a loop.

_H-how does- that's not going to attack, is it?_

"State your business," it growled down.

_I-it TALKED!_

Ignoring Lloyd, Kratos looked up at the dragon.

"I am here at Lord Yggdrasill's request, he desired to meet with me,"

"The Aurion? Very well."

It lumbered aside.

_...Th...that was...weird. Kinda cool, actually, but weird..._

Kratos said nothing and continued inside. He paid not attention to Lloyd's further comments about the place, seeing as it really did not interest

him, but walked on to Mithos' 'throne' area to find...Yuan.

"Lord Yggdrasill, what do you mean?" the half-elf asked, his back to them.

"I told you, Kratos was injured and thus I...made arrangements for him,"

"Well...yes, but-"

"Ah, there he is," Yggdrasill smirked as he caught sight of the Aurions.

Yuan turned and his eyes went wide at the sight of 'Kratos'.

_Hey...he looks like..._

"As you see, I simply let Kratos take Lloyd's body for a while," the Cruxis leader smirked.

"...You...?" Yuan stammered, looking at him and then at 'Kratos'. "...Kratos?"

"...Hello, Yuan," he said with a sigh.

"...How did this happen?" Yuan asked. "And why did you use-...'him'?"

_Him? Is he talking about me? He is, right?_

"You should know the answer to that," Yggdrasill stated.

"Kratos, you're okay with this?" Yuan asked, somewhat shocked.

"...No," Kratos admitted.

"No, he isn't, but we came to an...understanding," Mithos smirked, "he doesn't want Lloyd to get hurt, after all."

_Bastard. Let me at him, I'll-...I can't. DAMMIT!_

"...I see," Yuan stated simply.

Kratos glared at Yggdrasill, but remained silent.

_...You really don't like him, do you?_

He didn't say anything. He didn't have to answer Lloyd, to give him more...hints. It was best that he tried to keep Lloyd as much in the dark as

he possibly could. ...It was...for his own good.

_...What? What are you thinking about? Why are you sad all of a sudden?_

He continued to say nothing.

_Hey! Stop ignoring me!_

"Well, Kratos," Mithos smirked, "we've had these made for you."

An angel floated over and handed over two new swords, sheathed in red and white with handles of silver with red gems embedded in the hilts.

Kratos was a little confused at the choice of weapons and he felt a sinking feeling in his gut. Two swords? Not his usual one? ...That wasn't a

good sign.

"You'll be using two swords while in Lloyd," Mithos said with a smirk, "I trust you can handle it?"

"...Yes, but why-?" Kratos started.

"Lloyd's body is more experienced with two swords, right?" Mithos said with a shrug. "You can't use your usual style with a body that's not

accustomed to it, not efficiently anyway. Lloyd doesn't have the stamina or experience to fight in your usual fashion."

"..."

"Is that a problem?" Mithos' eyes narrowed.

"...I-"

"You may have some time to get accustomed with it, of course," Mithos stated.

Kratos eyed the weapons, still feeling like this was not going to work in his favor.

_...What's wrong? Is it really that big a deal? I mean...it kinda makes sense, right?_

"Again, is this a problem...?" Yggdrasill said dangerously.

"No, Lord Yggdrasill," Kratos relented, fastening the blades to his sides.

"Excellent," Mithos smirked, "I'll give you your task later, train for the rest of the day."

"As you wish," Kratos stated.

He bowed slightly and then went to leave-

"Hold on a second," Mithos said, "...Yuan."

"Yes?" Yuan asked.

"Tell Kratos what's happened, hm?"

"...Of course," Yuan sighed, "...the Chosen and the rest of her companions escaped, the Renegades took them away."

_W-what? So they're okay? ...Are they?_

"The Renegades..." Kratos trailed.

"We don't know what happened after that, but we believe they are currently in Tethe'alla,"

_Tethe'alla? What are they doing there? Is Colette okay? _

"What of the Chosen?" Kratos asked for him.

Yuan shrugged.

_...Oh..._

"If that is all, I'll take my leave, Lord Yggdrasill," Yuan said with a bow, then left.

"...I'd like to be dismissed as well," Kratos said.

"Very well, go train,"

"...Yes, Lord Yggdrasill," Kratos bowed his head and left.

Once they were outside of the castle once more, Lloyd spoke up again.

_So my friends are okay? _

"The should be, there is no way the Renegades could have harmed the Chosen in her current state,"

_Uh...who are the Renegades, again?_

"...The Renegades are a group that oppose Cruxis, you do remember Botta? We ran into him at the Asgard Ranch," Kratos stated, "they

purposely make themselves resemble Desians to cover their tracks."

_So...wait, then didn't they try to kill Colette?_

"Yes, they were most likely attempting to stop her from becoming the vessel,"

_...So...those guys in the desert, they were-?_

"Renegades,"

_...I saw that guy there..._

"Pardon?"

Lloyd thought for a minute. He saw Yuan there, but if Yuan was there...and Botta was his friend of some sort... Did that mean Yuan was with

the Renegades? And if he was...then that meant he was working against Cruxis? But he was in Cruxis? ...Maybe he shouldn't say anything

about it, then, just in case...

_Huh? Nothing, sorry, just-...y'know, thinking._

"..."

_So uh...can you FIGHT with two swords?_

"Of course," Kratos nodded, "...it's not that difficult of a change for me."

_What? Seriously? Then when you were training me why didn't-?_

"I was supposed to be keeping a low profile, so if it appeared I was good at everything..." Kratos sighed, "I apologize, I did teach you the best

I could, however..."

_...Wow,_

"What is it?"

_...You actually did care. _

"...What do you mean?"

_Once you betrayed us and all, I thought maybe you...didn't really- er, nevermind._

"..."

_It's okay._

"Hm?"

_You were going to say you're sorry again, so I stopped you._

"How did you know-?"

_You always feel the same when you want to say you're sorry, you feel...like there's a bit of guilt, and a bit of sadness, and a bit of shame, and...a bit _

_like you're mad at yourself._

"..."

_It's weird. I would never be able to tell what you were feeling before._

"If it's any consolation...you can train more," Kratos said, "in a way...pay attention to what I do while training and you should be able to pick

things up. I'll point out the important things."

_Why?_

"Hm?"

_Why...do you want to do that?_

Kratos said nothing.

_Well...okay. I don't know why, but okay._

Kratos smiled slightly.

_HOLY CRAP YOU'RE SMILING!_

"Excuse me?"

_Uh....sorry. _

"...Let's go,"

Kratos walked off into the lifeless city before turning for a transporter off to the side. Slowly he stepped on and then a brief warp later they

found themselves in an area of Derris-Kharlan that was completely devoid of anything, buildings or otherwise, aside from a computer like device

near the warp.

_What's that?_

"It transports creatures from Derris-Kharlan into this room," Kratos said, "I can select the species and level of difficulty, and the number too."

_So it just...warps them here? Seriously?_

"Yes,"

_Weird..._

"...Watch,"

Kratos went to the computer and then issued certain commands. A second later a druid appeared.

_Woah-!_

"We'll start with something simple," Kratos said, taking out the blades.

All right...these were simple enough, and he had no intention of allowing Lloyd to get hurt... He was a master of the sword, and in all honesty

fighting with two swords would not be that hard of an adjustment.

_Holy-!_

Kratos sped forward, noting how slow Lloyd was in comparison. They'd have to work on that. Oh well....this could be amusing, even. To fight

like this, that was. He'd seen enough of Lloyd's style to pick it up...and better it.

SLASH SLASH!

_H-how did you?!_

The druid collapsed onto the ground, Kratos having taken out the druid with one slash to the front-side before quickly finishing it with another

to the dorsal side.

"Hm...it took two slashes?" he frowned, displeased.

_H-how-? I've never gone that fast before! How-?_

"The angelic transformation will naturally increase your abilities," Kratos stated, "that and-... The point is, though your body isn't bad it still isn't

quite up to par with my own."

_Hey-! ...Wait...what? You're really that strong? Really?_

"..."

_...You were holding back at the Tower, weren't you?_

"..."

_You WERE! You-! You were just toying with us?!_

"I didn't want to truly..."

_Nevermind...forget about it._

"...Are you disappointed?"

_A-about what?_

"...Let's try something more difficult now,"

And so Kratos trained Lloyd, quite literally in body as well as mind. He pointed things out to Lloyd as he did them, and though Lloyd couldn't do

much, he could feel the movements and engraved them in his mind. If he ever got control back then these skills would be a valuable asset.

After and hour or so Kratos sat down on the floor, panting. He had managed to get efficient enough using Lloyd's skills, but this body still tired

far more easily than he was accustomed to.

_Whew...I'm winded..._

Kratos frowned a bit before Lloyd spoke up again.

_I can feel, remember? My arms hurt.._

"...I...apologize..." Kratos breathed heavily.

_It's okay, I feel better- I mean, I technically didn't do anything, but I feel much better than I did before._

"Exercise is a stress reliever..." Kratos said.

_Oh yeah. Stress. I guess...I was stressed._

Feh, him and he both.

"Hm, it looks like you've been busy,"

Kratos jerked Lloyd's head up to see Yggdrasill, who had appeared in the 'room'.

"..." Kratos' eyes narrowed.

"I trust you've adjusted well?" he said. "I'm sending you on your next assignment the day after the next."

Kratos nodded curtly. What choice did he have? It was that or...but...

"...Lord Yggdrasill, may I ask, what is the assignment?"

"Oh? Don't concern yourself with that," Mithos smirked, "I'll tell you when the time comes."

Now he was definitely worried.

"Now then...is the boy giving you any trouble?" the half-elf said slyly.

Lloyd felt a spike of rage from Kratos that died down a second afterward.

"No," Kratos said coldly.

"Really now? I had thought that he would be resisting,"

"He can't resist," Kratos said curtly, "though he does seem to enjoy questioning me."

_Well what did you expect me to do?_

"I see," Mithos stated, "so he is aware, hm?"

Kratos nodded.

"...Very well," he stated.

Perfect. Just as he thought, so when the 'assignment' was over...the boy would already be a leg down.

"I've alerted Pronyma to the circumstances," Mithos stated, "so don't worry what to do if you encounter her."

_Pronyma? ...Wasn't she the woman on the projector in Kvar's ranch?_

"Very well," Kratos said, ignoring Lloyd.

"I'll leave now," Mithos said, "...do what you wish."

Then he warped away.

_He SCARES me, did I ever mention that?_

Kratos sighed with a nod.

_...H-hey...Kratos, can I ask you something?_

He nodded again.

_...Why were you sad when you were watching my dream, earlier?_

Grief attacked Kratos' heart and he desperately tried to quell it before Lloyd took notice.

_Y-yeah! Like that! You were watching it and you were just like that! ...Why?_

"...Lloyd...I..."

_This emotion...what is it...?_

Kratos coughed loudly and then stood up, shaking 'his' head.

"Let's be off," he said coldly, starting to walk away-

_Why are you trying to hide it? What is it? I'VE never felt anything like this..._

Of course he wouldn't have, thank the gods he never had, the pain of losing your only child and having to cut down the one you

loved...and...he also didn't know. He didn't know what it was like to have that love for you child. He didn't know what it felt like to be a

father...no matter how horrible a father he was.

_You hate yourself that much?_

"What?"

_...You really hate yourself. Why? I mean...I'm sorry, but you do-_

"I don't have to explain that," he said curtly.

_Okay, okay, you're right, I'm sorry...that's personal._

"...Yes, it is,"

Oh Lloyd...if he only knew, if only he knew why he was able to be his vessel, why he had taken the hit for him, why he had done everything he

had done, for him...only for all of this to happen. He didn't want Lloyd here, he didn't Lloyd anywhere near Cruxis, he didn't want his son to-

_LOVE?!_

"Excuse me-?!" Kratos said a little more hastily than he had intended.

_LOVE! That's what it is! That's LOVE! Why the heck are you-!?_

"Look, don't-"

_And now you're scared! Why are you scared-!? This doesn't make-_

"ENOUGH!" Kratos snapped. "My emotions are none of your concern, whether or not you can feel them are not, it doesn't matter. You have no

right to be feeling my feelings, so even though you can't control it I would ask you at least to not question me about EVERYTHING."

Silence.

_Wow, you're...kinda scary sometimes..._

Kratos opened his mouth.

_Okay okay! I'm sorry! Really, I am! I'll stop!_

The Seraph sighed and did his best to control his grief. Lloyd hated him...and of course, the teen noticed this feeling. He asked about his

dream, then Kratos felt guilty...depressed, then...protective and loving. And he asked why and then he was afraid, then mad, then mad at

himself for yelling at him and felt bad for yelling at him? What did all of this mean? The pair walked in a tussle of confused emotions and

thoughts, neither one speaking to the other. This went on until they were once again in the city and Lloyd noted the angels again...

_...It could be fun..._

"Hm?"

_...Flying, I mean...if you had your soul and all, flying would be fun._

"..."

Kratos ejected Lloyd's glorious wings, their glow bringing much needed color to the surroundings.

_W-what are you-?_

"You can feel it, can you not? So if I flew for you...it would be close enough, correct?'

Lloyd would have gaped if he had control of his own mouth, but could not so settled for doing it spiritually. After a minute he found himself

agreeing enthusiastically with the Seraph.

_Y-yeah! S-sure! Go ahead!_

Kratos smiled softly and then gave the wings a tentative flap before flying into the air.

_Woah-! This is-! This is awesome!!_

Kratos felt his smile grow involuntarily as Lloyd laughed in his head.

At least there was something he could do for him, something...

_Do a barrel roll!_

"NO, Lloyd,"

_Aw, you're no fun._

He attempted to suppress a chuckle, then remembered Lloyd would know anyway.

So he went ahead and let it out.

**n.n Now off to write chapter three...**

**Colette: Wow, already? You usually don't start the next chapter right away...**

**Me: Nope. n.n But this is fun...ehehehehhehe...**

**Colette: Review please? n.n'**

**Me: (Happily sucks on candy cane) Mewwy Cwhristmaws! Mm...Good mandy-mane..**

**Colette: MERRY CHRISTMAS! n.n**_  
_


	3. Chapter 3

**Hiya, peeps. n.n Welcome to chapter three of 'Ensnared'! When we last left our Aurion hunk of man meat-**

**Colette: Huh? O.o'**

**Me:...Cough, hi peeps, hope you enjoy the chapter! :D**

**Colette:... Freakyanimegal owns nothing...?**

**Me: Enjoy again! n.n**

_Hellooooo....wake up._

Kratos mumbled something and turned over.

_C'mon, Kratos! If I'M awake before you, I'm guessing you overslept!_

Kratos shook his head and then sat up, yawning loudly.

_...Did I mention it's weird when you do that?_

"I haven't had the need to sleep for a long time, Lloyd," Kratos said, "I...suppose I forgot how...refreshing, it was."

_...Now that you mention it, you told Remiel you were a human once._

"..."

_So..what exactly are angels?_

Kratos sighed.

"You do remember how exspheres are made?'

_...Yes..._

"...Cruxis Crystals are a more advanced from of exspheres," Kratos explained, "when equipped the wearer will eventually acquire...'angelic'

traits. The Chosen became an angel as a result of the crystal, I myself went through such a transformation a long time ago."

_So...does that mean my exsphere's a Cruxis Crystal?_

"No, it's...well, an even more advanced form,"

_What? So it's like a super-Cruxis-Crystal?_

"It's more advanced, or it was designed to be," Kratos stated, "it may have something to do with why you have not lost your ability to sleep..."

_Like Colette did? I'm...I'm going to-?_

"You should have by now, which is what I'm talking about," Kratos stated, "...your exsphere gives you the benefit of a Cruxis Crystal...yet it is

not depriving you of your humanity."

_But it still could...?_

Kratos nodded sadly.

"It is a possibility,"

_...Well, that's not nice..._

Kratos fidgeted.

_You're sorry, I know._

"Hmph,"

_...So, um...we going to train some more today?_

"We trained all day yesterday," Kratos stated.

_Well yeah, not like there is anything else to do...except maybe eat, but-_

"You haven't been hungry yet, have you?" Kratos pointed out.

_Yeah, I know, because of the dang angel stuff...but I like food anyway..._

Kratos chuckled.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to see if you can still taste..."

_I'd better be able to taste! Not sleeping I guess I could handle eventually, but food is good!_

That it was....he remembered when he went through his own transformation. The loss of his sense of taste was...unpleasant. Thankfully the

rune crest had cure him of that, though...part of him actually wished he had lost it when he had been subjected to trying Raine's cooking.

He had to use a healing spell on himself, because of her COOKING.

The woman was dangerous.

_Huh? What are you thinking about?_

"Lloyd-"

_Oh yeah, sorry...but I get curious..._

"..."

_...So...what about that 'see if I can still taste' thing?_

Kratos smirked slightly.

"All right, all right..."

The Seraph got up and then began to navigate into his house of sorts, which lead Lloyd to another questioning spree.

_Y'know, I've only seen the entry way, the stairs, the hall and your room. Is that all there is in this place?_

"No, there is a kitchen and a den, but I have never quite used them..."

_I know you don't have to eat and all, but you seriously never get the munchies?_

"...Get the-?"

_You never want to eat something for the heck of it?_

"That's unhealthy,"

_Not if you only much on a little bit. If you exercise enough and eat right whenever you actually eat, it's okay to have a snack, right?_

"...I suppose..."

_And if you never eat anyway, then what's the harm in pigging out sometimes? Though I can't really see YOU doing that..._

"Heh," Kratos smirked.

_But uh...that picture you have in your room._

"What picture?" he said a little too fast.

_...You haven't looked at it enough for me to see it, but you always kinda glance at it. The one on your desk..._

"Personal,"

_Oh..._

He glanced at the exsphere.

He...he promised he would keep them both safe...and he had failed. Atrociously.

_OUCH!_

The sound of the main door opening, though...magnified to an extreme Lloyd was obviously not used to. Kratos simply turned toward the door

as Yuan walked in, the half-elf glaring slightly at them.

_Why was that so loud...?_

"Yuan," Kratos said simply.

"...Yggdrasill wants to see you," Yuan said simply.

_What? Already? I thought we had until tomorrow?_

"I see...thank you," Kratos sighed.

Yuan went to leave and then stopped, turning to glare at Kratos.

"I can't believe you're letting him do this to him,"

Kratos flinched.

"I-"

"Kratos, I know you're not okay with this," Yuan hissed, his eyes narrowed, "you-"

"I don't have a choice," Kratos stated, "if there's any hope of him getting out alive I have to-"

"And you think he'll let him go?!" Yuan snapped. "You think he'll actually let him leave?!"

"What choice do I have, Yuan?" Kratos snapped. "If you have another option, believe me, I'm more than willing to listen."

Yuan opened his mouth and then closed it, then opened it before closing it again. With a low growl he turned for the door.

"Fine...I'll leave you with some advice then: don't do something HE will regret,"

"..."

With that the Seraph left.

_Did he mean me? Don't do something that I will regret? ...That's not a good sign, is it?_

Kratos shook his head slowly. No. That most definitely was not a good sign.

_...This...I...I'm not liking this._

He wasn't either.

"Let's go,"

So after a quick traverse to Mithos' Palace they were once again before the blond megalomaniac. Kratos bowed in respect, trying to hide his

anxiety and ignore Lloyd's fury at the feeling of his own body bowing down to the man he would rather die by than show respect to.

"Now, Kratos...here is your assignment," Yggdrasill smirked, "there are a few...specific things, that need to happen."

"...Yes?"

"First off, you're going to pass yourself off as Lloyd, understood?" he stated. "If your name is asked you will reply 'Lloyd Irving'-"

Kratos flinched.

"But-"

"Is there a problem, again?" Mithos glared. "If there is, I can just eliminate any indecision right now..."

"N-no, no, it's fine," Kratos said.

_He wants you to be me...why? I don't want you to go around-! ...But I guess it's not like you can be me and go around saying to other people that _

_you're not me..if I ever get back people will think I'm crazy._

"You will be watched," Mithos said, "and you will do exactly as I say or else."

Kratos nodded again.

_Okay, I really don't like this. I really don't. Please, don't...can't we...you know...?_

"...You are going to attack the Chosen's group," Mithos said, "and you will bring the vessel to me."

Kratos' eyes snapped open and Lloyd immediately began to stage an outcry.

_Wh-what?! NO! Never! Tell that gay-lord to shove it up his butt! NO!_

"But Lord Yggdrasill-"

"Fine then, I'll have you do something else," Mithos sneered.

He knew that he would reject that, after all...

"Find the chosen's group, and attack them. You are to pass yourself off as Lloyd, acknowledge his friends, and then turn your swords on them."

What?!

"I-"

"You are to be as cruel as possible," Mithos hissed, "understood?"

_That...that...!_

"But I-"

"No buts," he snapped, "either you break their faith in him, or I'll see to it he's killed."

"You...Lord Yggdrasill, you can't expect me to-"

"Are you giving me trouble again, Kratos...?" Mithos hissed darkly.

"Lord Yggdrasill-"

_NO! TELL HIM NO! I DON'T CARE IF I DIE! NO!_

"He's resisting?" Mithos said. "I know, but it is for the boy's own good...it's either that or...well..."

Kratos did his best to contain his horror and rage. The bastard! How could he-? How could he force this on Lloyd? How could he make his son

have to live through this? There had to be a way out of this...but...

But there was none...

"A...all right,"

_YOU BASTARD, KRATOS! NO! Don't- you can't- Don't make me do this! Why do you care if I live or not?! STOP! DON'T!_

"They're nearing the Fooji Summit...don't bother playing nicely,"

Lloyd was so devastated he confused Kratos' spike of grief for his own.

* * *

_I can't believe this! Why...why is he-!? ARGH! WHY!?_

Kratos said nothing, his face downcast as every word of Lloyd's pain crashed upon his conscience like a wave. He adjusted the small magitech

device he had set in his ear, the one he had been ordered to wear. 'You'll do as I say, and when I say to leave you leave, got that?' Hmph,

Mithos had sunken to a new low...and being watched? Who was watching them? Kratos tried to scan the area but gave up with a sigh. It

wouldn't matter...though Mithos himself could hear what was going on through the device, he just knew someone else was tailing them.

_I don't want to do this...I don't want to do this..Please, don't make me do this!!_

Kratos closed his eyes as Lloyd repeated his desperate plead in his head. What could he say? What could he do? He positioned himself before

the forest, his head hung low as he thought over what he was about to do...

'They should be approaching in a minute' Mithos voice said through the machine, 'make sure you do as I say, Kratos...'

"..."

_...Please, don't do it! I don't care what he does to me, please don't!!_

Kratos sighed.

How did this happen...?

'They should be near the top'

Kratos did his best to keep a straight face as the group came in sight. Two new additions had been made in the form of the Tethe'alla Chosen

and a pink-haired girl, though Lloyd mostly noted Colette...who was still without her soul.

_Colette..._

The group first looked upon the Aurion with confusion, not recognizing the male they called their friend in the strange apparel. After a second

Genis' eyes lit up with recognition and he called out.

"Lloyd!? Lloyd, it's you! You're all right! How did you-!?"

The half-elven boy started forward when his sister put an arm out to stop him. Smart one, that Raine...she already had gotten the hint that

something wasn't right.

"...Hello, Genis," Kratos said using Lloyd's voice.

_Genis...no...not my best friend...please...please don't-!_

'Don't your falter on me, Kratos...'

"...Lloyd?" Genis said slowly, picking up the suspicion from his teacher.

"Lloyd, where have you been?" Raine asked. "And what are you wearing?"

_I know you don't want to do this, I can feel it! So don't do it! DON'T!_

"Lloyd...?" Sheena trailed.

"This is your friend that got taken?" the red-haired male asked.

"...Yeah," Kratos said, doing his best to sound like Lloyd, "...I'm Lloyd Irving."

"...Lloyd, what are you doing?" Genis said, his eyes widening. "You...you're never this serious, why are you acting like this? What are you

wearing? What happened? Why did Yggdrasill take you?"

Kratos tried to answer but was cut off by Lloyd's cry of defiance.

_STOP IT! JUST STOP IT! DON'T DO IT!_

'Kratos, do it,'

"I-"

_TELL YGGDRASILL TO SHOVE IT! _

'KRATOS!'

"That's Lord Yggdrasill," Kratos said.

Lloyd would've broken down right there had he had control.

His friends eyes widened in shock and horror before Genis stammered out a reply.

"L-Lloyd? What are you talking about? Why-?"

'Do it, Kratos'

"Hand over the Chosen,"

Lloyd screamed something in his head he wouldn't like to repeat.

"W-what?!" Sheena scoffed. "Since when do you talk about Colette like that?!"

"Lloyd, what's going on?" Raine glared. "Why are you doing this?"

"Lloyd-!" Genis started, horrified.

Kratos unfurled Lloyd's wings, gasps of shock shaking the group.

"Woah woah woah! Aren't the angels the badguys?!" the pink-wearer asked. "Isn't he your bud?!"

"H-he's- he is- but-"

"Sure doesn't look like it,"

"ZELOS!"

"I WAS your friend," Kratos said, drawing the swords and pointing them at the group.

_NO! STOP IT! PLEASE! DON'T DO ANYTHING TO THEM!  
_

"Lloyd-!?"

"Lloyd, what's going on?!"

Kratos glared at them all, individually expressing his distaste for them. He didn't hate them...and he didn't want to do this. But he had to, he

had to or Lloyd would...he had to protect his son, even if his son didn't want it.

"I was an idiot going along with people like you," he spat, "I was an idiot to go against Cruxis. It took me going to Derris-Kharlan to realize

what I had to do. I'm going to help Lord Yggdrasill wake the Goddess Martel, even if I have to kill you all to do it."

_NO! SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!!_

"LLOYD!"

"Lloyd, what's wrong with you!?" Genis cried, tears in his eyes. "You- you don't mean that! You could never mean that! Why would you say

something like that?! W-we're your friends!"

'Keep it going, or else'

"...Friends?" Kratos stated. "Hmph...once, I guess, but it doesn't matter anymore. I don't have any need for friends. Especially not a whiny,

snotty, snobbish little smart ass like you."

The look on Genis' face all but destroyed Lloyd, pushing him to the point he couldn't even yell at Kratos any longer.

"How dare you!" Raine growled, coming to her brother's defense. "Lloyd-!"

"What are you going to do, make me eat your cooking? That's the only way you'd manage to do anything to me."

Raine looked like she had been slapped.

'Nice one'

Kratos resisted the urge to snarl and directed his insults to Sheena.

"You could try to have the clumsy assassin come after me, but she'd probably fall," he said, "not like I can really blame her, with a chest like

that I'm amazed she doesn't fall every few steps."

Zelos looked like he wanted to say something before Sheena smacked him and then turned to yell her disgust at 'Lloyd'.

"YOU BASTARD! How could you say that?! I- I thought we were friends, what's wrong with you!?"

"Aw, did I hurt your feelings?"

"You-!"

"How could you!? Lloyd, what happened to you!? This- this isn't something you would do! Lloyd-!"

"Whether or not you want to face reality isn't my problem," he snorted, "I'll take the Chosen, whether you like it or-"

"NO! LLOYD!"

Kratos- and everyone- gasped in shock as the expressionless girl that was Colette broke from her stupor, her eyes snapping blue as she shook

her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"C-colette?!"

_COLETTE-!? She's okay-!?_

"How on earth...?" Kratos whispered.

'What the...?' Mithos gaped.

"Lloyd, you don't mean those things! You don't!" she cried. "Lloyd, please-!"

The girl ran up and put her hands on his shoulders, stunning everyone present.

"Lloyd-!"

'GET HER AWAY!'

_NO-!_

'DO IT, KRATOS!!!'

_Don't-!_

'NOW!'

Bracing himself for the reaction that would come of this, Kratos drew back his hand-

And smacked Colette upside the face.

After that it seemed like time stood still. Colette gaped in shock, covering her cheek as the rest of the group gaped in anger and horror. Inside

his own head, unable to do anything, Lloyd let out a scream of frustration and grief, Kratos almost physically voicing it as well, for his sake.

'Good, now-'

_COLETTE!_

Somehow, Kratos found himself unable to move..but move he did. Lloyd had seized control and quickly put his own hands on Colette's

shoulder, tears almost instantly filling his eyes as he locked her gaze.

"Co-!" he cried.

It lasted but a second before Kratos regained control and swiftly pushed her away.

_NO! COLETTE!_

'That's enough, go, go before something else happens,'

Kratos immediately went to leave.

'Finish it off, though, just do it'

_SHUT UP!_

'DO YOU WANT HIM TO LIVE OR NOT!?'

Kratos turned and sneered at the rest of the group.

"I'll come back for you later, so don't miss me," he said snidely.

'Add a threat, just one more'

"And then-"

'Cruel. Do it. Cruel'

_YOU ARE CRUEL!_

"And then next time I'll smack all of you around," he spat.

And then he flew off.

* * *

Kratos sat in the corner of his room, his legs pulled up to his chest and his arms across them, laying his head on them. Lloyd...Lloyd had been

crying in his head ever since they left the summit. Crying out in anger, in pain, in sorrow...guilt...and still more pain. It was an endless torrent of

anguish that beat down on him, like when Anna... Except this time it wasn't just his own pain at what he had done to his family, this time

Lloyd's own cries where constantly added to his own. After what felt like hours of this hell Lloyd directed something at him.

_WHY!? WHY DID YOU DO THAT?! WHY DID YOU-!? _

"I-"

_WHY DO YOU WANT ME ALIVE?! WHY!? I'D RATHER YOU'D KILLED ME THAN-! THAN-!_

"I can't let you die..." Kratos whispered, "I-"

_I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU AND THAT FREAK OF A BOSS OF YOURS! I HATE YOU!_

For the first time in years, he actually had to fight back the urge to cry.

_What, you're upset I hate you!? Why!? You should've known! You-!_

"I know I should've known...I did know," he choked.

_You knew I'd hate you, and you didn't want me to hate you, then why did you do it?! Why on EARTH would you do something like that if you knew this _

_would happen?! Why would you want me alive!? Why on any planet's surface would you care about m-!?_

"I couldn't let you die," Kratos whispered.

_WHY!? Why do you care if some random teenager-!?_

"You're not some random-!"

_Then what!? WHAT AM I!?_

It took everything to stop him from blurting it out right then. From blurting out the truth he so desperately wanted to tell him. That he was his

father, that he had done it to protect his son.

Instead he simply closed his mouth and let Lloyd yell at him.

_I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!_

...He did hate him, but it was best that he did. The more he hated him and everything to do with Cruxis the better. Besides...

He deserved every last bit of it.

**...Okay, I admit it, I'm evil. I'm sorry...it was just...so much...FUN. That angst was...and the sorrow...and the pressure...and the- OOOOH! **

**I JUST LOVE WRITING THAT!**

**Colette: T.T How....how could you...?**

**Me: Don't worry Colette, I never let the bad guys win. Bad guys suck.**

**Colette: B-but-**

**Me: Colette, you should know by now. My running thing is that no matter how painful and horrible something is, something good will come **

**out of it if you never give up.**

**Colette: O.o'**

**Me:...What? I'm not THAT shallow...**

**Colette:...O...okay...**

**Me: Please review...? n.n' And I assure you, that's about as angsty as this is going to get.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Now now people...n.n' Let's put away all the sharp pointy objects...**

**Colette: But some of them have blunt objects too...**

**Me: ...Yeah. Just say the disclaimer.**

**Colette: n.n Freakyanimegal owns nothing!**

**Me: Hee hee hee...the wii...n.n How I doth love it..(huggles Wii she got for Christmas) That's right, wiiless readers! I HAVE ONE! **

**TREMBLE IN AWE MORTALS! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!**

**Colette: Oh my...she is evil...O.o'... Um...P-please enjoy...?**

**NOTE: Fixed some errors.**

Lloyd's dreams that night kept him in agony, replaying what had happened again and again and again. The looks on his friends faces, the

things his own voice had said to them, the horror in Colette's eyes when he smacked her away. No...no! It wasn't his fault-! It wasn't...but it

didn't matter, did it? He had done it, whether or not he did so of his own will he had done it. How could he ever face his friends again after

that? How could he even get near them, how could he abide in their presence?

"Lloyd!" Raine scoffed. "What are you doing?!"

No.

"H-how could you?!" Sheena called.

No!

"I thought you were our friend!" Genis cried.

He- he was! He was their friend! He just- it- he-

"Lloyd..." Colette's voice cracked, her eyes filling up with tears.

NO! NO NO NO!

He began to run, run from the the faces of his friends around him. Though he knew he was dreaming, he could've sworn he felt the throb of his

heart, his pulse pounding in his ears and the sharp intakes of breath he took as his body raved on adrenaline.

"NO!" he shouted.

Then suddenly he found himself in a haze...a fog. The same fog he had found himself in shortly before seeing Kratos looking into his dream. His

face involuntarily curled into an expression of rage at the thought of the Seraph that was inhabiting him, cursing his existence. That...that

damn...PERSON had done this to him. Had ruined his life-...but...but he didn't want to, he knew he didn't want to. Kratos hated himself for it, he

knew it, but...but why would he do it? What did he care if Yggdrasill kept him alive or not-?

Yggdrasill.

He growled to himself. ...He was wrong, Kratos may have been the one that destroyed his life, but it wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for

that blond freak. Yggdrasill had stolen his life from him, had taken away his chance of ever... He- He-!

He fell onto his knees, burying his face in his hands as tears slipped down his cheeks.

What could he ever say to make that right again? How could he ever even speak to them again? The looks on their faces...they all looked like

they were in a nightmare, they all looked like they'd been slapped-

Colette.

"ARGH!" he shouted, gripping his head as he cried out in agony.

He had slapped Colette. He had felt his own hand reach out and smack her away, like she was some filthy, disease-ridden pest. What could his

friends possibly be feeling? Colette had already been crying... What could they possibly be going through? It was bad enough what he felt

when Kratos betrayed them...when someone he had looked up to turned their blade on him. But he had only known Kratos a few months, for

Genis and Colette, who he had known for years, who he had called his best friends...

What kind of hell had he put them through?

They'd probably be trying to deny it for a while, and...and he hadn't really done it. The Professor said there were five steps to grief, and

denial was the first one. Then...bargaining, like trying to figure it out...then anger...then depression...then...acceptance. So even if he hadn't

done it of his own will...eventually they would accept he did it.

And then they would never care for him again.

But...wasn't he in grief too? So...what was this? Bargaining? Trying to figure it out?

Or was he already in depression?

He choked a bit as the tears slid down his face before he heard something. Such a faint sound...what...?

Laughter?

He looked up and then tried to locate the source in the haze, hearing the laugh again. A soft, innocent, happy sound...a kid, maybe, a toddler.

Slowly he got to his feet and began to follow the child's laughter, seeing as it seemed very...familiar. Like it was something he had heard a

million times before, but couldn't remember hearing it even once.

"Daddy! Daddy! Pick me up!"

Eventually he found the source, a bubble like his own dream had been before. His eyes widened in curiosity and shock as he observed the

happenings. Kratos was smiling down at a young child he had scooped up in his arms, an expression of perfect contentment he had never seen

before on the angel's face. The kid had to be about two, or so...brown hair, though the kid's face was snuggled into Kratos' chest.

"I wove you, Daddy!" he chirped.

Kratos let out a soft laugh and then hugged his child, rubbing his head against the boy's tenderly.

"...What is this?" Lloyd wondered out loud.

Kratos held his child in a bliss before the child suddenly disappeared from his arms, leaving the Seraph startled and wide-eyed in fear. Then

from within the bubble Lloyd gasped as he heard his own voice scream out again and again: I hate you.

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" it echoed.

Kratos' eyes widened and he went pale, swaying a bit.

"What the-?" Lloyd gaped.

Kratos stammered a bit, choking on his own saliva as his expression turned to one of desperation, like he wanted to say something but could

not muster the will power to force it out.

"I HATE YOU!" it continued to echo.

Kratos slowly fell onto his knees much like Lloyd had done before, clutching his head as he gritted his teeth to fight back- ...tears? Kratos was

crying? What? That was impossible! Kratos-...Kratos couldn't... Lloyd panged suddenly, like an icicle had been driven into his heart. Cold,

piercing, harsh and jagged pain wrecked through him...and then melted into complete and total sadness. Sorrow, drowning in it...

Kratos _was_ crying.

But why? Why would-?

"I HATE YOU!!"

His voice? His voice was making him cry? This- this didn't make any sense, he knew Kratos was upset but- but THIS upset? Why? Why would he

care so much what he thought about him? And what was the part before about? The part with that boy-...with his...kid...

What could this mean? Could this...could that...explain it? Could that explain all the emotions he had felt from Kratos, and why he had been

so desperate to do whatever Yggdrasill said in order to..to protect him?

"I HATE YOU!"

The pain was crushing...it was more and more devastating with every phrase...

"...Why?" Lloyd whispered. "Why did you...why did you do it? Why are you so upset? I don't understand! Why-?"

Tears were silently streaming down Lloyd's face again, and he wasn't quite sure why. Was it Kratos' pain that was making him cry? Or was it

because...because he was hurt by this too?

"Lloyd..."

He jolted as the Kratos inside the bubble began to mutter, shaking.

"Lloyd...Lloyd, I'm sorry...Lloyd, I couldn't...I couldn't protect you..." he whispered.

Lloyd could only stare.

"Daddy?"

Kratos looked up at the sound of the voice of the child from before. Lloyd watched as Kratos lifted his head and was staring at- himself? Lloyd

gaped in horror as the double glared and then shouted at Kratos in a fury.

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"

Lloyd almost physically collapsed from Kratos' emotion of despair.

"Lloyd- Lloyd I-" he choked.

"I HATE Y-!"

"NO! STOP! STOP IT!" Lloyd shouted.

He found himself running into the bubble, right into the scene with his double and Kratos. Kratos gaped as the teen ran forward and hugged

him, crying again.

"I'm sorry-! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I didn't mean to hurt you like this!"

"Ll-?"

Then Kratos woke up, sitting upright in bed with a jolt.

"...Lloyd-?" he started.

_I didn't mean to...I didn't mean to hurt you that bad..._

"...But you hate me," Kratos said, "I'm your enemy, you should hate me."

_But- But I can't put anyone through that kind of pain! I just can't! It doesn't matter if you've- you've..if you've destroyed my life. I can't! I can't put _

_someone through that kind of pain!_

"..." Kratos lowered his head.

_I...I'm mad at you. I am. But for some reason...I don't hate you._

"You should," Kratos stated.

_Huh?_

"You should hate me, it would be...better for you," he trailed.

_You don't want me to hate you, but you tell me to? You don't want to make me hate you, but you do it? ...I...I don't understand, why would you do _

_that? Why are you...protective, of me?_

"I'm not-"

_I can feel it, remember? You're protective of me. Why? And that dream..._

His heart skipped a beat.

_...Why...why were you sorry you couldn't protect me- I mean, why were you saying that after that kid-...after that kid disappeared? It doesn't make _

_any sense._

It made sense. It made perfect sense. If only Lloyd knew...no. It was best he didn't know, he should never know.

"I have no need to explain it to you," he spat coldly.

_W-what? ...You're doing it again!_

"Doing what-?"

_You're acting different than how you feel. You feel protective again and you're pretending to be angry. I know you're not angry, stop trying to act like it! _

_I can tell! So stop- just be straight with me!_

Be honest? No. Honesty would not help Lloyd. If this made him mad, so be it. If anything he did made him mad, good, the more he hated him

the better it would be. After what had happened with his friends...he growled to himself. Yuan had been right, Mithos wasn't going to let Lloyd

go without a fight, and the best way he thought to do that would be to break his friend's hearts...and thereby breaking him. He was going to

keep to his word, to let Lloyd have a choice...but the bastard didn't say anything about not influencing the choice. The best chance Lloyd had

now of getting away would be that his hate for Cruxis would out-weigh his despair of having broken his friends. Lloyd was afraid, he was afraid

to face them again, they all knew it; Kratos, Lloyd and Mithos. The more Lloyd hated him and Cruxis, the better.

...But it didn't make it hurt any less...

_What are you thinking about NOW? What's-?_

"Did I not tell you to stop asking me?" Kratos growled, actually irritated at this point.

_W-well...well yeah, but...but can't you just answer me? Can't you just be honest with me?_

"I have no need to do that,"

_Stop that! Stop being so- so COLD! You're not! I know you're not! Why do you keep-?!_

"Does it aggravate you?" Kratos asked.

_YES!_

"Good," he said.

Lloyd scoffed, seeing as Kratos actually was glad he was angry.

_What, are you just getting fun out of picking on me now or what?!_

"Hmph,"

_First you do THAT and now-!? ARGH!! I can't- I can't STAND you! How did I feel so bad for you a moment ago!? _

Good...good, he was mad.

Lloyd's voice continued to shout at the Seraph for the next few hours as Kratos headed for the training fields once more. He didn't want to be

in contact with anyone, soulless or not, at the minute. The closest he could get to 'being alone' would be to train with no one around except

the teen sitting in his head shouting at him. Training would distract him, and possibly Lloyd as well. The boy did know he would be the one to

become injured should he bother to angel enough to leave him open for attack. So the training commenced and ended in the span of a few

hours, leaving Kratos to sit on the ground out of breath.

_Why am I still getting out of breath?_

Kratos tilted his head to the side in a questioning manner.

_If I'm an angel now...why am I still getting out of breath?_

Kratos smirked softly, glad Lloyd was again on his questioning streak.

"Angel or not...if you exert yourself enough you will grow tired," he said, "angels do not get tired from such things as easily, but they will

eventually do so if they are working hard."

_Oh..._

"...Or it could be that you're naturally too weak to be a proper angel,"

_W-what!? Why you-!_

He had almost forgotten. He wanted Lloyd to be mad, wanted it. ...Though saying that was untrue. Lloyd wasn't weak at all, in any way or

form, and 'too weak to be an angel' made him suppress the urge to spit. Lloyd was....he glanced at the exsphere.

...An angel even before this.

"I was just throwing out the possibility," Kratos said coldly.

_Why you-! ..._

As Lloyd grew silent Kratos did his best to keep his emotions quelled. He always got quiet before probing his heart, and so Kratos had taken

the signal to kill his feelings.

_DARN IT! Stop doing that!_

"Doing what, pray tell?"

_You know perfectly well, what! You-_

"Did I not say you have no right to look at my emotions?"

_W-well...but you-! ...Yeah...I...I guess..._

Why wasn't it working? Why wasn't Lloyd getting mad again? Had he masked his emotions poorly?

"Hmph," Kratos snorted.

All right, from now on he would ignore all of Lloyd's questions. Ignoring him would make him mad, as it always seemed to. Other than that he

should just do his best to keep his emotions under control to further aggravate him. ...The best bet for him was to keep this up until control

was returned to h-

Then a thought struck him.

What if...his own body never was repaired?

His eyes went wide upon the realization. The idiot! How come he did not think about that before? If his body died then there was no way

Mithos would allow Lloyd to go free. Kratos choked a bit and found himself racing toward Mithos' castle, Lloyd instantly shooting off rapid fire

questions to the happenings. The Seraph ignored his son and made it into the castle, making his way to the room in which he had woken up in

Lloyd to see his own body laying across the room. He found the room under heavy guard, as understandable, but he had to find a way to get in

regardless.

"This room is off limits," an angel guard stated.

"I am Lord Aurion," Kratos snapped, "allow me passage into this room."

"Lord Aurion?" the other droned. "Very well."

Kratos quickly entered the room, finding the magitech devices that had carried out the mana transfusion and were currently keeping his own

body sustained. It was strange that the angels would allow him to enter, however... Mithos would not have placed guards within the castle

unless he wanted absolutely no one inside. Ignoring that, he quickly made his way to the monitor for his bio-stats and scanned them.

Oh no.

_What? What's wrong? What does that mean?_

According to this...he could die within the hour.

_Kratos...? Kratos?_

Rather than being shocked at the face of his possible looming death, Kratos' thoughts instantly went to Lloyd. If his body died, he wouldn't be

able to leave Lloyd, Lloyd would be stuck in this hellish cult for the rest of his life...which would end up being eternity. No, it had only been a

few days and Lloyd had already endured too much that he shouldn't have even had nightmares about. He had to find a way to get Lloyd

free...he had to find a way for Lloyd to get out of here. His own death was of little consequence, he had long been overdue for his fate, but

Lloyd...

"Now just what are you doing in here?"

Kratos turned to see Yggdrasill looking down at him, his eyes narrowed. Ignoring the barrage of shouts and curses toward the blond angel

from Lloyd, Kratos managed to say what he needed to.

"Put me back," he said.

"Hm?" Mithos raised an eyebrow.

"...Put me back in my own body, let Lloyd go," Kratos said, "I... If my own body fails I'll be stuck in him. Please, put me back in my own body and

let him go."

_Y-you'll what?!_

"And what makes you think I'll allow that?" Mithos sneered. "If that happens the seal will break."

_Seal? What seal?_

"You promised you'd let him leave if I did as you instructed," Kratos glared with determination, "you gave your word that you would allow him

his freedom."

Mithos and Kratos locked eyes in a tense duel of glares, Lloyd fidgeting nervously inside his own mind. Kratos' own thoughts were racing. If

Mithos said no, what could he do? He couldn't possibly hope to force him...then what was left? What could he do? What if-

"Fine then," Mithos said.

Kratos flinched. What? Did he just-?

"P...Pardon-?"

"Fine then, we'll execute the mana transfer and give Lloyd back his body,"

_Huh? Did I miss something?_

Kratos was stunned. What? Why was he agreeing with this so readily? He couldn't honestly be willing to risk his seal after such little

argument...something didn't add up. His eyes shot to the monitor, his life readings getting weaker by the minute...

It didn't matter. Time was running out.

"I...all right, th...thank you, Lord Yggdrasill," Kratos bowed his head.

If Mithos had lost all sense, it didn't matter if it worked in Lloyd's favor.

"Well, get in there," Mithos pointed to the other 'canister' of sorts, "I'll assemble the angels."

Kratos continued to stare at his 'leader'. Something was very wrong...

"Well? Do you want me to change my mind?" Mithos hissed, glaring.

Kratos immediately headed to the machine, turning in time to miss the smirk growing on the angel's face. The readings...were a lie. Kratos'

body had made a full recovery, but he didn't have to know that...or rather, Lloyd didn't have to know that. Lloyd would have his own body back

soon enough, but he was going to make sure fate played in his favor. After all...once Lloyd was told that the man that had done so much for

him was dying...and was his father, well...the boy would have to be completely heartless to leave him.

Everything was going according to plan.

* * *

Lloyd's eyes snapped open...of his own will. He felt himself gasp with his mind, the realization hitting him that he had control. His body

responded to his thoughts, not that of anyone else. If he hadn't noticed the glass over head he would have jolted upright in an attempt to

stand up. The green light surrounded him and he managed to turn his head to the side to see Kratos laying several feet away, several angels

drifting here and there performing various tasks of some sort as their leader observed them. Lloyd felt his face curl into an expression of rage

at the sight of the Cruxis Leader as he tried to lift his arm to push the glass off of the 'table' he was laying on. The blond turned and noted the

boy with a slight smirk, hovering over to the teen and placing a hand on his hip.

"I see you're awake," he smirked.

Lloyd growled at him.

"Now now, if you look at me like that I won't let you out,"

Lloyd forced himself to close his mouth, settling for glaring. Once the damn shemale lifted the glass he'd bop him full on in the face. Mithos

smirked a bit more as he signaled for Lloyd's release. The teen waited until the hum of the machine died down and the glass was lifted from

above him before he immediately jolted from the table and went to hit Yggdrasill.

"YOU BASTARD-! GUH-!"

Lloyd ended up on the floor clutching his gut, Mithos tsking above him.

"Now now, all that trouble you both went through to get your freedom and this is what you do?" he shook his head. "You really should learn to

control your temper, Lloyd, unless you want something...unfortunate, to happen."

"G...go to hell..." Lloyd hissed as he glared up at him.

"Hmph," he snorted, "well...now then, do you wish to try attacking me again or can we carry on?"

Mithos spread his arms open, declaring himself an open target. Though all but willing to take a swing a the man, Lloyd knew perfectly well

attacking him would just end up with him on the ground again. Reluctantly Lloyd got to his feet and glared at Yggdrasill, who smirked.

"No? Thought so," he snorted, "now then...on to business-"

"Don't get near me!" Lloyd snapped, back-stepping. "You-! You-!"

"Oh, I'm not going to do anything-"

"Because you've done enough!" Lloyd shouted. "You ruined my life! You and Kratos-!"

"And don't you wonder why?" Mithos glared. "Why Kratos did it?"

"B-because-"

"He wanted to protect you,"

Lloyd snarled.

"W-why!? Why did he want to protect me?! That doesn't make any sense!" Lloyd shook his head. "Why did he care so much!? What- and it- it

wasn't just...some...he actually...he actually cared about me! He actually cared about me like I was- like I was important to him! Like I was-!"

"His son?" Mithos said softly.

Lloyd jolted, his eyes widening. It only lasted a second before he shook his head.

"Y-yeah..like..but..."

"Well, as promised, you're free to go," Mithos gestured to the door, "but are you sure you want to do that?"

"Are you kidding!? I've wanted out of here ever si-"

Lloyd caught sight of Kratos out of the corner of his eye, the man breathing softly as the monitor hummed. He was dying...Kratos was

dying? ...And he had gone back to that to free him? ...But...but it didn't matter! He wasn't staying here a second longer, why should he?! For

the man who had betrayed him, who had ruined his life, who had cared for him like a s-

Where did that come from?

"Kratos? Why yes, he might die soon," Mithos shrugged, "but he doesn't matter to you, right?"

The half-elf smirked, a glint in his eyes as he stared Lloyd down.

"...I..." Lloyd stammered.

"No, run back to your friends," Mithos smirked, "I'm sure they'll understand why you did 'that'."

He jolted.

"I didn't-!"

"No, of course not, tell them that, I'm sure they'll be fine with it," Yggdrasill grinned.

"...You...you bastard..." Lloyd whispered, "...you bastard..."

"But hey, go on, go," he shrugged, "you don't need to sit by Kratos' side, it's not like you're family or- oh wait..."

He caught sight of Lloyd's eyes going wide and chuckled.

"My mistake...you _are _his son after all," he finished.

"W-what-!?"

"What? You didn't know?" Mithos mocked surprise.

The expression on the teen's face confirmed it for him.

Now he had them both.

**Me: n.n (hugs Colette)**

**Colette: Huh-?**

**Me: I was playing TOS2...I'm so glad you haven't changed, Colette! n.n**

**Colette: Wh-what...? Um...thank you...n.n'?**

**Me: Review if you want! I must go play more....(runs off to play Wii)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hm...**

**Colette: What's wrong?**

**Me:...I just...feel like I'm missing something...**

**Colette: ...Huh?**

**Me: Nevermind, say the disclaimer.**

**Colette: O-oh? Okay.. Freakyanimegal owns nothing!**

**Me: Enjoy. n.n **

**NOTE: Edited some bad parts.**

Lloyd's world had shattered. ...Again.

"W-what-!? His-!?" he stammered.

"You were with him this whole time and didn't figure it out?" Mithos raised an eyebrow. "Hm...not bright, are you?"

"W-why you-"

"No no, I apologize," Mithos turned, hiding his smirk, "I can understand why he kept it secret from you to protect you."

"P-...Protect me-?" Lloyd stammered, still in shock. "I...but he...he can't be my..."

"Angels live a long time, Lloyd," Yggdrasill turned to look at him, "Kratos here is old enough to be your great-grandfather, easily. Though it's not

that distant of a relation for you two..."

"Y-you're lying!" Lloyd shook his head. "He can't be my-!"

"Why else would he have protected you?"

Lloyd froze.

"Think about it: why were you able to harbor Kratos' soul? Because your body was close to his, because you're his son," Mithos started, "why

did he so willingly do whatever I told him to keep you alive? Because you are his son. Why did he do things you hated, that made you hate him,

to earn your freedom? Because you are his son. Why did he allow himself to make you hate him? Because, you..."

Lloyd gaped at him like an idiot as the blond slowly said the next word.

"Are...."

The teen tried to stammer something out, but the words garbled in his throat and died.

"His...."

But he couldn't-

"Son," Mithos finished.

"BUT HE CAN'T B-!"

The teen stopped in mid-shout.

...This...this explained everything. All the emotions he felt from Kratos...the fear, the guilt, the sorrow, the...the _love_. Love! He knew he had felt

it, but he couldn't understand it. He knew it wasn't the kind of love that was between spouses (thank the goddess) but it was still love, a type

of love he couldn't understand. ...Love...for a child...for one's own child. The dream...that explained the dream! That explained why Kratos hurt

so much when he-

When his son rejected him.

"...I..." Lloyd trailed dumbly, his eyes unfocused and his face pale, "...I...why didn't he...?"

"He probably didn't tell you because he didn't want you to feel bad for hating him," Mithos said, "in fact, he probably wanted you to hate him

because he didn't want to make it difficult for you later."

Lloyd muttered his next sentence without realizing he was voicing it.

"He did it for me...?"

Mithos smirked.

"Well, yes," he shrugged, "but that's enough, you can run along now-"

"B-but he's-!"

"Dying? Yes, he might," he shrugged, "but he already has given up so much for you, I don't think he'll mind if he can't even see you at his end.

You may go, the transporter in Welgaia can take you right down to the surface."

Lloyd didn't budge, his face still in an expression of shock.

"Well? You have the freedom to leave," Yggdrasill said, "you can leave and never come back. Isn't that what you want? After all, if it wasn't

than your father strived for you all that time for nothing-"

"S-stop!" Lloyd shouted, placing his hands on his ears as he shook his head.

"But then...you also have the freedom to stay."

Lloyd jolted, his eyes locking on Yggdrasill's face.

"Yes, you hate me, you hate Cruxis..." he shrugged, "but...you apparently hate your 'friends' too, don't you?"

"You-!" Lloyd snarled.

"Yes, I know, it wasn't your fault," the half-elf mocked a sigh, "we know that, but they don't. If you go back to the surface, if you ever find them,

how do you know they will believe you?"

"I-"

"Karma, boy," he snorted, "they could reject you just as you rejected Kratos."

"I didn't r-!"

But wasn't that a lie? Didn't he reject Kratos? He had just said he couldn't believe he was his father...but...but it had to be true. He knew it

was true, down in the pit of himself... He glanced over at Kratos' still form again and choked. Yes, it was true. Kratos....Kratos was his father.

Kratos had done all of that, had willingly made him hate him...all for his sake. And he rejected him. He had, even before this, he had rejected

him when he yelled that he hated him. And that explained that pain. That horrible...horrible pain....that he had caused.

And now he was dying.

"I'll give you a choice," Mithos said, "you can leave and go looking for your old companions, but you'll never be able to come back. Ever. ...Or

you could stay, if you wished, stay with Kratos and hope he recovers...and see if you want to give him another shot at being family."

The blond sneered at the last word, causing Lloyd to visibly flinch.

"But, it is your call," he shrugged nonchalantly, "I won't force you to do anything."

A lie, of course...there was no way he was letting Lloyd out of here. He just hoped he'd be able to make the boy come the decision of his own

will...it would make things so much easier.

"Of course, if you leave the next time you see any angel it will be your enemy," he said, "and likewise...if you stay here, you will be expected to

carry out my orders as a Cruxian."

Lloyd opened his mouth to protest.

"Your father did it for you, but I can see if you are not willing to do the same,"

He closed his mouth.

That pain...the sorrow, that longing, that guilt, that hell of feelings...that desperation for...for love. That was Kratos'- that was his- his FATHER'S

world...all of that, to protect him. And now he was on his deathbed and he- and he had never-...never even known. Was he going to let

Kratos...was he going to let his dad die before he could ever even have the chance? But...but Kratos willingly did all of that to make sure he

would have his freedom, had made him hate him, had almost given up his life...

But- but he wouldn't work for Cruxis! He couldn't! He couldn't- and- and this people made him do that to his friends! His friends! B-...

...But how could he even face them again...?

"Go on, leave," Mithos turned his back, "think it over on the way to the transporter. If you leave, you will not be allowed back in, but if you want

to stay...then simply remain in the city. I will send a messenger with news about Kratos for you if you are still in the city at that time. Now go."

"I-"

"He is still in critical state," Mithos said, "you'll be in the way. Now leave."

"I-"

Mithos glared.

"I said I wasn't a very patient person, did I not?" he hissed. "Now...go."

Lloyd hesitated just a moment before he started for the door, his gaze lingering on Kratos over his shoulder.

"Think it over...Lloyd Aurion," Mithos smirked.

Lloyd paled before he ran out the door.

"...Heh," he smirked even wider.

The boy was as good as his. ...In the meantime, Kratos should be waking up in...about an hour.

Perfect.

* * *

Lloyd roamed almost aimlessly through Welgaia, drifting toward the transporter and then back, unsure of what it was he was doing. He could

leave, he could leave right now and never come back-...but...but then what if he left, and Kratos died? He wouldn't be there...he wouldn't... As

much as he wanted to deny it, he wanted to know his father. And not just the brief 'know' as he had done, but to actually have a bond with the

angel...to maybe actually be a father and son. But if he stayed...then would he have to-? No matter what he did he would have to confront

his friends again, something in him knew that. ...But he could go after them now, and they could push him away, and then he'd be alone and

not even have Kratos... So if he stayed...would that...work? If he stayed, he'd be able to be with his father, and then he could see his friends

again and somehow maybe...explain?

He wanted to know his father...but...but...

He found himself walking off toward and area he had been to every day since coming here....Kratos' home. The teen just barely realized he had

walked here in his stupor before he sped inside, racing to the second floor. Almost as if he had planned it, he ran into Kratos' room and to the

desk where that picture was. A picture of a woman with short brown hair holding a brown-haired toddler-...the same toddler from Kratos'

dream. ...Him? He was that kid? Then-...then that would mean that woman was...Anna.

His mother.

That did it.

Holding the picture close to his chest he slid against the wall, sobbing into his knees.

He couldn't take this....he couldn't take it! What was he supposed to do?! ...He didn't know what he was supposed to do, what he could

do....and if he wanted to leave, he had to leave now. If he stayed any longer than a few minutes he would be stuck here....with his...family...

He didn't know what to think.

So he just cried.

* * *

It had been what felt like years when the door slid open and an angel drone hovered in, Lloyd jerking his head up from where he was to look

at the messenger that had appeared.

"Lord Yggdrasill has sent me to inform you Lord Kratos is awake,"

The boy almost jolted to his feet.

"He is fully recovered and Lord Yggdrasill requests you wait here,"

"What? But why-?"

"Lord Yggdrasill's orders are absolute," it stated, "Lord Lloyd."

Lloyd stared like he had been smacked as the angel turned and hovered out, the door sliding shut behind it. He stared at the door for a few

minutes, his mind unable to start up anything similar to a thought. Lord...Lloyd?

It was then that he realized it was too late to change his mind. He was in Cruxis.

He was...in Cruxis....

"..."

He began to cry again.

Outside, in the streets of Welgaia a spiky-haired figure walked with his head down, his eyes clouded in thought. He had woken up...and Lloyd

hadn't been there. Good...that must have meant that he had gone, seeing as Mithos had said Lloyd had gone of his own will. Gone to where,

he hadn't said, but certainly he went back to the worlds...that was good. Good that he left. ...It was a good thing...

"..."

He stopped for a moment as he realized the silence. No voice was demanding explanations about his feelings, no voice was putting him on

edge against discovery, no voice was constantly questioning on anything and everything... It was rather...lonely. Though, he had been lonely

without Lloyd long before this...he would just have to...live with it, now. Though he wanted to say he had lived through far worse, as his age

should justify, he found he couldn't honestly say it.

....And there was still silence.

He sighed and made his way back to his home.

It was a pure stroke of luck that he had recovered as he had, he thought for sure that his body was going to fail... It was pure luck that he had

managed to get out of Lloyd, and that his own body survived. He just prayed that Lloyd was wherever he wanted to be, now... The Seraph

walked into his home and again couldn't help but notice the silence as he made his way up the stairs. It was a vacuum devoid of any of Lloyd's

comments, like how the third step made a funny squeak when you stepped on it, or how the place smelled like cleaner.

...He'd even miss him nagging him to sleep-

He had opened the door.

"..." his eyes widened, his mouth falling slightly agape.

Lloyd jolted his head up to look at him, tears falling down his cheeks.

"Lloyd...? Lloyd, what are you doing in here-?" he started, panicked.

"I-"

"Why didn't you leave? Did Yggdrasill stop you?" he snarled. "That-"

"N-no...Yggdrasill didn't stop me," Lloyd blurted, glancing aside, "...he let me go."

Kratos deflated, staring at his son in shock.

"Then...why are you still here? Why didn't you leave-?"

"I chose to stay here," Lloyd mumbled, still averting his eyes, "I chose to stay here w-..with...you..."

Kratos flinched.

"...What are you talking about? I-"

"Why didn't you tell me you were my father?"

The angel visibly jolted, his eyes going wide at his son's words. He...he knew? How-? Then he caught sight of the picture the teen hugged close

to his chest, the photo of him and his mother...but that couldn't have been enough. ....Yggdrasill, Yggdrasill must have-

"He told me," Lloyd stated, "he told me that you were- you- you didn't tell me! You-!"

"I didn't want you to know..." Kratos managed to say, pangs of guilt assaulting his heart once more.

Lloyd looked like he was about to shout more before he stopped, staring at the man.

"...You're sorry, I know," he said.

The Seraph flinched. Lloyd wasn't in him, anymore, how could he have felt-?

"You always twitch your left pinky when you feel guilty," Lloyd said, gesturing to his hand, "...and you always tense your shoulders when you're

afraid, and you kind of...just relax when you're relieved."

"...You learned all of that in only a few days?" Kratos put a hand to his forehead.

"I felt everything you did, so...yeah," Lloyd nodded, "...and you...stand a little straighter when you're happy."

"..." he began to speak.

"Though you're not happy very much," the teen smiled weakly, "...only that one time, when we were flying..."

Lloyd drooped his head as fresh tears silently made their way down his cheeks.

"...And you were only happy...because I was happy..."

"Lloyd-" Kratos started forward.

Lloyd ran forward and hugged the man tightly, the picture frame laying on the ground. The Seraph's eyes went wide in shock as the boy began

to sob into his chest like a child, as if he completely forgot the fact that he was almost a grown man. Not knowing what to do, Kratos slowly

wrapped his arms around the boy, rubbing his back in a comforting gesture.

"I- I'm so glad you're a- you're alive-" Lloyd stammered, "I thought- I thought what if you died and I-? And I never got to know you? And I

never got to- got to be-..._family_?"

"...Lloyd, be rational," Kratos said, "I'm your enemy, you can't stay here, it doesn't matter if I'm your father or not...I am not the sort of person

that you should be with, much less like-"

"You're doing it again!" Lloyd shouted, angry again. "You're making yourself feel bad to keep me safe!"

"Lloyd-"

"W-well...guess what?!" Lloyd backed up from him, glaring as he wiped his face. "Whether- whether or not you want me here, I'm staying! Do

you hear me?! He took my friends from me, I'm not letting you get away from me too! Do you hear me?! I'm not letting you leave me too-!"

"Lloyd, think," Kratos forced himself to snap, "you- you still may have a chance with your friends, and think about...Dirk, think about

your...father. You can't just-"

"I love Dad too!" Lloyd shouted. "I do! But- but-"

"But what?" Kratos snarled. "I don't see why you would give them up, they are the people who have been with you all your life, who have

loved you all your life, you belong with them-"

"I belong with the people that love me?" Lloyd glared.

"...Yes," Kratos nodded, trying not to choke on his words.

"Then I belong here, too!"

"Lloyd-"

"You love me!" Lloyd shouted. "I felt it, you love me so much that it hurts!"

"Don't be dramatic-" he started.

"I'm NOT! I FELT IT TOO!" Lloyd shouted, shaking his head. "You love me so much that it hurts you just thinking about me because- because we

weren't together!"

Kratos paled before he retaliated.

"It doesn't matter what I feel, you need to-"

"I want to love you too!" Lloyd shouted. "I want to love you as much as you love me! Like- like a family should!"

"You don't have to do anything-"

"I'M STAYING, DAD!"

The angel looked as if a mass of ice had struck him in the back. His eyes widened, his mouth fell agape and the color drained from his face.

Dad...? He had said...Dad? Had called him 'Dad'? No, that couldn't be right...it just...couldn't be.

"W-what's with that look!?" Lloyd shouted at the sight of Kratos' face.

"...What did you just call me...?" he whispered numbly.

Lloyd hesitated a minute before he took a deep breath and spoke again.

"...Dad..."

"..."

Kratos slowly walked over to his bed and sat on the edge, his eyes glazed as he stared into space. Lloyd noted the apparent shock his father

was going through and slowly approached him.

"H-hey... Do you-? You don't want me to call you that-?" Lloyd stammered. "I- I'm sorry, I didn't-"

In almost one motion Kratos took something from around his neck and held it out to Lloyd. A locket. The teen was puzzled and wanted to ask

about it but decided to simply take it and open it up himself. Inside was a picture of the same woman and child from the other picture...except

this one had Kratos in it as well, smiling down at the boy his wife held in her arms.

"...This is...Mom..." he whispered, "...so then this must be...me..."

Kratos nodded silently.

"...You were smiling...." Lloyd stated softly, "...I've never...seen you smile like that."

He said nothing.

"...I...um..."

Suddenly Lloyd went beet red and then smacked himself in the face. Startled by the sound, Kratos looked up at his son.

"Lloyd-?"

"I AM SUCH AN IDIOT!" the boy shouted, flushing even more red.

"Lloyd, what's the matter?" Kratos asked.

"I uh..." the boy glanced aside, red as a boiled lobster, "...remember I called you a...'mother fucker'?"

There was a prolonged silence.

"I am willing to forget that happened," Kratos stated coolly.

"Y-yeah...." Lloyd stammered, rubbing the back of his neck, "never happened."

"...There's nothing I can do to make you change your mind, is there?" Kratos asked softly.

Lloyd stared at his father a minute before he shook his head.

"No," he said firmly, "...I'm going to stay with you."

"Even if it means obeying Yggdrasill? Even if it means working in the organization responsible for all you hate?"

"...I won't like it, but..." Lloyd trailed, "...I can bear with it...for now."

He wanted to be with his father, but he hated Yggdrasill, he hated Cruxis. ...But the Professor once said to keep your friends close, and your

enemies closer. Being in Cruxis just might give him an idea how to take it down from the inside, but...he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

Overall, this was the place for him to be. His father was here, he'd be able to do more damage in Cruxis than out of it, and...he wouldn't have

to face his friends. Not yet. Not until he could come to them with Cruxis weakness on a platter. He knew he was scared, scared to face

them...but he would eventually. This time he would protect them, even if they hated him, just like his father had done for him. He didn't know if

they'd ever accept him again...but he'd rather they hated him and lived than be his friends and get hurt. He sighed. He was being a hypocrite

again...

"You still want to take down Cruxis," Kratos said curtly.

Lloyd flinched. He had been that easy to see through-?

"Lloyd..." Kratos closed his eyes, deep in thought, "...do what you must do. I won't...I won't stop you."

The teen smiled softly.

"D..."

"However," Kratos' eyes jolted up, "I will be watching you closely, understand? I will not allow you to do anything rash."

"Didn't you just say you weren't going to stop me?"

"...I rephrase that," Kratos stated, "I will allow you do what you must so long as it is not something that will get you killed the second you

attempt it."

"...Fair enough," Lloyd shrugged.

An eerie silence descended into their midst again.

"...So...um..." Lloyd glanced around nervously, "...could you...?"

Kratos looked up at him.

"...Tell me about Mom?" he finished weakly.

"...Yes," Kratos said almost as weakly.

Lloyd's face lit up and the teen instantly took a seat next to his father after picking the picture frame off of the floor and handing the locket

back-

"No," Kratos held out his hand, "...keep it."

"...Really?" Lloyd smiled softly, his eyes tearing up again.

"...Yes, I want you to have it,"

Lloyd's smile widened and he closed his eyes, holding the locket close.

"Th...thanks, Dad..."

Kratos sat a little straighter.

**ARGH! NO! ALICE YOU LITTLE WITCH!!!**

**Colette: H-huh?!**

**Me: I'LL KILL YOU AND YOUR GAY BOYFRIEND, DO YOU HEAR ME-?! (Gets owned by Alice and Decus)**

**Colette:....Um....Freaky...?**

**Me:...T.T**

**Colette: um...Please review? n.n'**


	6. Chapter 6

**...Four days.**

**Colette: Huh?**

**Me: It took me only four days to beat TOS2...T.T....**

**Colette: um... Freakyanimegal owns nothing?**

**Me: It was good and all, but it was so short! T.T And- and Richter-! T.T**

**Colette: ...Enjoy...? O.o'**

Kratos softly feathered his son's hair as the boy lay sleeping on his bed, a soft smile creeping into the Seraph's face. They had been up for

hours talking about Anna, and various stories about when Lloyd was young... The boy had been so exhausted he fell asleep right there. Kratos

didn't mind, though, he tucked Lloyd in the bed and then settled for sitting in the desk chair watching him as he slept. Then, he did spend most

of the journey doing that as well, watching Lloyd as he slept....wanting so dearly just to place a kiss on the boy's forehead as he used to when

he was young, to tell him that he loved him....but he never risked it, he couldn't risk it, no matter how much he wanted to. Now....now

regardless of the horrid situation, he was able to at least love his son... The man hesitated a minute before slowly bending down and placing a

light kiss on Lloyd's forehead, smiling again as he rightened. He should be waking up in another hour or so, he imagined.

So...maybe he should...

"..."

Giving his son one last affectionate look he left the room, heading downstairs. He had locked the home from visitors, seeing as he wanted no

further disturbances from angel drones while Lloyd was here...that and he did deserve his share of privacy, did he not? Regardless, no one

would bother him...so he found himself walking into the kitchen. With a brief frown he realized that he had not in fact used this room in

centuries, the clean appearance a result of the angels that were charged with maintaining the place. Oh well...the kitchen should be stocked

anyhow, as before he had arranged for it to be so when he told Lloyd they could 'see if he could still taste'.

"...All right then..."

The male removed his gloves and set them on the table, rolling back the sleeves of his white Cruxis outfit as he walked toward the pantry to

inspect what it is they held. After a thorough sweep of the kitchen he found himself for the first time since traveling with Anna frying up some

eggs on a skillet, laying bacon along with it as he simultaneously prepared some toast. A faint smile came to his lips as he thought of what his

deceased spouse would say at the sight, possibly along the lines of: 'BACON! Kratos, did I ever mention I love you?

Nowhanditoverbeforeanyonegetshurt'. He chuckled a bit at the memory, Anna always loved her artery-cloggers...

"Kr-? D-? um..."

The Seraph turned to see his son in the doorway, apparently having been wakened by the smell of breakfast. Seeing the awkward expression

on Lloyd's face Kratos attempted to force a small smile of reassurance which flopped. He'd have to work on that.

"You would like some, I assume?" he said, his tone the softest he remembered in years.

Lloyd jerked a bit and then lowered his head, blushing as he nodded.

"Y-Yeah..." he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Then have a seat," Kratos stated, "it should be done shortly."

The teen hesitated a minute before walking forward and sitting down at the table, looking around.

"This is a kitchen?" he asked.

"I'd imagine it seems a little different from the ones in Sylvarant," Kratos acceded.

"Yeah," Lloyd nodded again, "it still smells good, though, th-the food, I mean.."

An awkward silence filled the room.

"So um...D- Kr- uh..." Lloyd shook his head, "...Yggdrasill told me you were- er, really old."

Kratos froze a second before returning his attention to the food.

"That is correct," he said stiffly.

"I- I mean, I'm not trying to be rude, but uh-...how old ARE you?"

Kratos looked at him over his shoulder.

"...How old do you think I am?"

"W-well...he said you were old enough to be my great-grandfather..."

There was more silence.

"If my appearance matched my age, I would be an old man," he stated with a sigh.

"Really?" Lloyd started.

He nodded.

"So...uh...what about me?"

"Hm?"

"That is, well...am I gonna be like that?" he frowned, looking at his exsphere. "You know, get old and still look-?"

"I don't know."

Lloyd flinched, blinking a minute before he stammered out his response.

"W-what do you mean you don't-?"

"Your...heritage, is the first of its kind," Kratos said as he looked away, "there has never been a life-form such as yourself in existence before.

You have aged just like a human these past seventeen years, and you may continue to do so. You may stop aging at a certain point and die

within a human lifespan, or you may just stop aging...in total."

"You mean like...be immortal?" Lloyd said slowly, his eyes wide as he was unable to keep the horror from his voice.

"We do not know if that is the case, however, so there is no sense in worrying about it," Kratos stated as he turned toward him, carrying a

plate to the table to place in front of Lloyd, "I hope you like it."

Lloyd went to ask something else of the angel before looking down at the dish and gasping.

"Holy-! I didn't know you could cook, Kr-! Um- I didn't know you could cook!"

Kratos tilted his head to the side in mild amusement. Lloyd seemed to be avoiding calling him by either his name or by 'Dad'....perhaps after

calming down following the events of the day before he had more time to think and wasn't quite sure with what he was comfortable saying

yet...oh well, it didn't matter. Whatever Lloyd was happier with was fine with him.

"I suppose I did not cook much during our travels..." he trailed.

"No, not really," Lloyd smiled apologetically, "but anyway, it looks great!"

With a wide grin the boy began to sample his father's cooking, letting out a loud 'wow!' after the first bite.

"It tastes great too...you should've cooked! It would've saved us from the Professor's cooking...."

Kratos noted the boy's face falling and quickly pushed forward the conversation.

"I'm glad you like it," he stated, sitting down across from him, "so-"

"Aren't you going to have something?" Lloyd asked.

"...No, I wasn't planning to," Kratos shook his head.

"Why-?"

"I do not have to eat-"

"Well I don't have to either, anymore," Lloyd pointed out, "and it tastes good, so you could if you wanted to you know."

Kratos smiled softly.

"No, I'm fine," he said.

Lloyd stared at the angel a minute and then grinned, laughing a bit.

"What is it?" Kratos tilted his head to the side.

"Nothing, I just...haven't seen you smile much..."

"..." the angel chuckled faintly, "I suppose so."

Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck before beginning to dig into the dish again, smiling widely.

"Man, this tastes so great...I never thought I'd miss just tasting stuff so much..."

"My apologies," Kratos stated, "I suppose I should have kept up on this promise before hand."

"Well, better late than never I guess," the teen shrugged, "so...um..."

Silence fell again.

"...When you were saying there hasn't been a 'life-form' like me before..."

Kratos sighed, bringing his hand to his forehead.

"Yes, I was wondering when you'd catch onto that..." he said, "...did it not occur to you that-?"

"Wait," Lloyd said suddenly, "am I-? Am I a half-angel? If you're one? I mean-"

Kratos nodded silently.

"Before you used that exsphere there were...signs, when you were young, that perhaps you were not entirely human as was your mother," he

said softly, his eyes misted.

"...Like what?" Lloyd asked slowly.

The angel stayed silent for a moment before he opened his mouth, and no sooner had he done so that there was a strange ringing sound.

Lloyd jolted a bit as Kratos got to his feet and headed for the door.

"It's all right, it's just alerting us that there is someone here,"

Lloyd watched Kratos leave the room and a minute later he heard voices. The boy pushed his chair back to get out of his seat and see who it

was when Yuan walked into the room, closely followed by Kratos, who seemed to be attempting to get the half-elf to leave.

"It's you!" Lloyd started.

"Well, I had to see for myself, but you really did stay..." Yuan said, his eyes narrowed.

"Uh...well..." he glanced aside.

"Yuan, please-" Kratos started.

It was then that the other Seraph noticed the dish Lloyd had been eating. Momentarily his eyebrows raised in shock before he began to laugh,

shaking his head.

"Why, Kratos, you made him breakfast? How _sweet_..." he smirked.

"Hmph," Kratos snorted.

"H-Hey, don't-" Lloyd started.

"You do look a lot like him, now don't you?" Yuan tilted his head to the side, looking at the teen.

"...Uh..I..." he trailed, "do I?"

Yuan laughed again, Kratos death-glaring his companion from behind.

"Kid, you have his face, if that tells you anything," he smirked, "now are you going to offer me one of those bacon strips, or am I going to have

to hurt your father?"

"Tch," Kratos spat.

"...Sure, I guess?" Lloyd said slowly.

He had expected him to....well, he wasn't sure. Do something about what happened in that base in Triet. The Renegade base. Yuan was the

guy he saw there, he knew it, but for some reason he hadn't brought up anything about it. Maybe because Kratos was here? Man, this was

complicated...though watching the half-elf help himself to the bacon with a self-satisfied smile made it kind of hard to be wary of him.

"Ah, that's good," he grinned, "really, Kratos, how come you never made breakfast for ME?"

"I am not entitled to," Kratos said coldly.

"True, true," the man shrugged, "I guess I'm just lucky Lloyd agreed to share, huh?"

Kratos glared and Lloyd raised a questioning eyebrow at the half-elf. Just who did this guy think he was? He had acted so serious before, why

was he acting like this now? Something didn't add up...

"Well, by the way Kratos," Yuan said casually, "Yggdrasill wants to see you."

Kratos flinched and went to move forward.

"He was a bit jumpy, I think you should hurry," Yuan said calmly, his eyes narrowed.

"...Lloyd-"

"Really, do you want Lloyd to see him 'jumpy'?" the half-elf said darkly, almost dejectedly. "I sure as hell wouldn't want any spawn of mine

around him like that..."

Kratos hesitated a minute before Lloyd spoke up.

"It's okay, I'll be fine," Lloyd said, "go ahead. I'll wait here."

"...All right, Yuan-"

The half-elf made a mock gasp of shock, placing his hand on his chest.

"Kratos, that is HARSH, my friend," he said, "you don't trust me to babysit him? I mean, I did before-"

"You what?!" Lloyd stared.

Kratos growled and Yuan smirked.

"You haven't told him? Well then...you run along and I'll tell Lloyd," Yuan said smoothly.

The other Seraph made a move to protest before sighing and quickly heading for the door.

"I'll be right back, take care, Lloyd."

And after a minute and a 'woosh' of the door, there was silence.

"What do you mean you've babysitted me before?!" Lloyd stared.

"I'm your godfather, why else?" Yuan smirked. "Your parents needed a break every now and then when you were small, so I filled in for them

every now and then."

"You're my godfather!?" Lloyd stared, his mouth open.

"You don't need to look so shocked..." the half-elf scoffed, "I am your father's best friend-"

"You are?!"

Yuan scoffed again and crossed his arms as the teen continued to gape at him.

"What, didn't he tell you anything? I feel hurt, now..." he muttered.

Lloyd snorted. HE felt hurt? He didn't even figure out Kratos was his father from Kratos himself, and he still barely knew anything about how his

parents had met, how they had lived-

"Woah-!"

Lloyd almost jumped when he realized Yuan had gotten very close, glaring down at him.

"W-What's your-?!"

"You didn't tell him you saw me, did you?" the half-elf said darkly. "At the base?"

The boy stammered a bit before Yuan snapped at him again.

"Did you tell him!?"

"N-No! I didn't-!"

Something in Lloyd's head went 'click!'; earlier he had already suspected Yuan of having a tie with the Renegades (as Kratos called them), but

he hadn't said anything because the Renegades were against Cruxis...and had apparently been the ones to save his friends.

"You're with the Renegades?!" Lloyd blurted.

Yuan's eyes narrowed and he covered Lloyd's mouth, the boy protesting.

"Mmph-!"

"Look," Yuan hissed in his ear, "I can tell you about your friends, but you've got to keep that little fact a secret, understand? Even from Kratos,

it's a matter of life and death; and seriously, it is."

The brunette calmed down a bit, glaring at Yuan as the man intensified his own gaze on him.

"Kratos should be gone for a few minutes, now I'm going to let you go and you are going to keep quiet, understood?"

Lloyd nodded reluctantly, satisfied he had been correct in his suspicions. That, and the man said he could tell him about what his friends were

doing. Slowly, Yuan released Lloyd and drew back, the young Aurion glaring up at him.

"So where are they?"

Yuan sighed.

"Your friends are currently heading for the Ozette area," he said, "that's a town in Tethe'alla, if you didn't know. They are all safe and healthy,

as of what I last heard."

Lloyd let out a sigh of relief, then quickly remembered something else.

"Hey...wait! You're the one that kidnapped me before!" he said.

"Shhh, sshhh!" Yuan hushed him, snarling. "I said keep quiet! And yes, I did, but-...well, now that you know who your father is, I'm assuming

you realize why it is I did that."

"You were going to blackmail him? Using me?" Lloyd stared. "What kind of godfather are you?"

Yuan sighed, crossing his arms as he rubbed his temple with one hand.

"It's war, kid," he stated, "I was doing what I needed to. In all honesty, I never intended to take your life, however-"

Lloyd drew his swords, causing Yuan to back-step.

"What are you-?"

"You just said you were going to capture me for blackmail," Lloyd said dully, "I'm not THAT stupid."

Yuan blinked a minute before he laughed, shaking his head.

"That plan is a distant memory, now," he stated, "you are in Cruxis, if I made any attempt on you..."

"But you're in Cruxis too, aren't you?" Lloyd asked. "So why are you-?"

"Everyone has their reasons," Yuan said sternly.

"...I don't get it."

"Don't get what?" the half-elf asked.

"...You're worried about D- about him, finding out, but you said you babysitted me before..." Lloyd titled his head to the side, "wouldn't he know

you were with the Renegades if you did that? And if you were trying to blackmail him, why didn't you come after me when I was younger? If you

were actually- y'know, BABYSITTING me, then wouldn't-?"

"At the time, I had no reason to blackmail Kratos," Yuan sighed, "...your parents were on the run from Cruxis, you realize. As long as Kratos had

his back to Yggdrasil, I was willing to help him. ...I was his best friend, you know. I did not lie about that."

Lloyd went to say something more-

"And no, he didn't know about my involvement with the Renegades," he stated, "I had no reason to disclose that secret, and I thought better

of it. If I had, I would be dead right now."

Lloyd could only stare, his mind processing all of the information. While he was thinking, however, his thoughts were interrupted when Yuan

smirked with a laugh.

"By the gods you've grown..." he chuckled.

Lloyd flinched.

"W-what-?"

"Nothing, it's just now that I've gotten a good look at you...well, nevermind," he smiled weakly.

"...So you're against Cruxis?" Lloyd said, keeping his voice down.

Yuan nodded.

"Yes, but if you tell I'll be executed, and then I won't be able to keep you informed about your fr-"

"Can I help?"

Yuan stared at him, blinking in a minute shock. What? He had planned on blackmailing the boy into secrecy, but now...he was offering to HELP?

Kratos' son was willing to fight against Cruxis, with him? This was...strange, it was ironic- it was _perfect_.

"You want to assist me?" Yuan tilted his head to the side. "Truly-?"

"I don't like Cruxis," Lloyd glared, "I hate it, just like I hate Yggdrasill. So...so I want to bring it down."

If Yuan had truly believed in any sort of deity, he would have been resisting the urge to get down on his knees and relentlessly thank the

heavens for this blessed turn of events. If Lloyd was willing to do that...with just the right persuasion Kratos could not be far behind.

"Really? Well then..." Yuan smirked, then jolted as he sensed an oncomer, "we can discuss this later. Quickly, try to talk about something else-"

"Can I call you 'uncle'?" Lloyd said.

Yuan stared at Lloyd as the sound of the door opening was heard.

"Call me _what_-?"

"Well, if you're my godfather and all does that mean I should call you 'Uncle Yuan' or something?"

"That's not-"

Kratos walked in with a slightly amused look on his face, tilting his head to the side.

"'Uncle Yuan'?" he repeated. "You were telling him that story?"

"Story?" Lloyd blinked.

"You would always call him that when you were younger," Kratos smirked softly, "he didn't quite like the name."

"Tch," Yuan spat.

"Really?" Lloyd grinned. "Okay then...UNCLE Yuan, are you going to stay much longer?"

Yuan's eye twitched and Kratos chuckled to himself, a small, almost unnoticeable smile on his face.

"I'd love to, but I have things to take care of," Yuan stated coolly, "I'll talk to you later."

Lloyd did his best to act like nothing had happened as the Renegade leader gave him a quick glance and then walked out the room. Kratos and

Lloyd remained silent until the half-elf was gone when Kratos sighed deeply and sat down at the table, resting his head in his hand.

"Huh? What's wrong D-...uh, what's wrong?" Lloyd asked.

"...I just spoke with Yggdrasill, as you know," he stated, his eyes closed, "he has...an 'assignment'-"

Lloyd jolted.

"N-No! I'm not going back to do that again! I won't!" Lloyd shook his head. "I'm not going after my friends a-!"

"Calm yourself, Lloyd, it's not that," Kratos stated, "...there is a Desian Grand Cardinal by the name of Rodyle that Yggdrasill suspects is plotting

against him. He wants you to observe his actions and report back."

"A Desian?" Lloyd blinked. "So-"

"I am to accompany you, of course," he stated calmly, "just in case you end up in over your head."

"So..." Lloyd bit his lip, "does that mean I have to go back to Sylvarant?"

Kratos nodded.

"There is procedure, first we have to go inspect the ranch under Rodyle-"

He paused when he saw Lloyd flinch at the prospect of going to another Human Ranch.

"..." he closed his eyes, "I know you dislike the idea, but you will have to suppress your feelings for now. After we inspect the ranch we can

begin keeping tabs on him and if he is in fact working against Yggdrasill then it will be our responsibility to...dispose of him."

"You mean kill him," Lloyd said.

Kratos nodded.

"To put it frankly, yes," he said calmly.

"...Okay," Lloyd said with a nod, "I guess I don't really have a choice right now anyway."

The man lowered his eyes and Lloyd chuckled faintly.

"It's...not _entirely _your fault, so...uh..." he smiled weakly.

"Not entirely?" Kratos smirked. "Your reassurance skills could use some practice."

"Hey," Lloyd pouted a bit.

The man and boy locked eyes for a long minute of silence before Lloyd coughed and looked away.

"Okay, so uh...when are we going?"

"Tomorrow," Kratos stated.

"...How can you tell when it's night time around here anyway?" Lloyd asked as he tilted his head to the side.

"You'll get used to it," Kratos told him stiffly, "though I do not particularly like it either."

"Well...at least you can see the stars whenever you want..." Lloyd trailed, remembering the domed area in the section of Welgaia that led to

Mithos' palace.

Kratos stood up suddenly, Lloyd redirecting his attention to the older male.

"Huh? What is it?" Lloyd asked.

"We can get in some more training," he stated stiffly, "and once we are done with that, I suppose there could be no harm in looking at the

stars for a decent amount of time."

The teen blinked before a soft smile came to his face and then he chuckled.

"A...all right," he nodded, "oh yeah, but uh...could you teach me something?"

"Hm?" Kratos looked at him.

"That thing Remiel did- the warpy thing," Lloyd said, "um...can any angels just warp around without a transporter?"

"It can be taught, yes," Kratos nodded.

The boy's eyes lit up-

"You're not ready for that," Kratos shook his head, "first you will need to have at least a basic control of angelic spells-"

"Can I learn those then?" Lloyd blurted.

Kratos raised an eyebrow and the boy coughed a bit, blushing as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"...You actually seem to be interested," the Seraph said, tilting his head to the side.

"Well, it's just-"

"Though I do believe you have tended to be jealous of your friends casting abilities."

Lloyd jerked his head up, startled.

"You were the only one in the group that did not have the ability to use a spell of some sort," Kratos said as he glanced away, "I apologize if I

was wrong in that assumption, but you felt that you were a little under par with the rest of us, did you not?"

The teen made the rather comical face he often used when he was a mix between insulted and embarrassed. Kratos smirked slightly and then

nodded in satisfaction.

"We have the rest of the day, we can start off with 'Angel Feathers'," he said as he headed for the door.

"They're not going to be pink, right?" Lloyd grimaced.

His only response was a faint chuckle.

"H-Hey! What's so funny!?"

**Hm...this one took me a little longer, n.n' sorry. I just figured I should work on a few of the other stories I have and then- ah, excuses, I **

**apologize. n.n'**

**Colette: Well, you got it up. n.n Review please! :D**

**Me:...:D**

**Colette: ? ...:D?**

**Me: :D! :D!!!! _:D!!!_**

**Colette: Huh-?**

**Me: I WIN! n.n**

**Colette:...Didn't this happen before...? O.o'**


	7. Chapter 7

**Man I'm showing this story a lot of attention, nay? n.n'**

**Colette: Yeah, but you've been updating some things you haven't in a while too! n.n**

**Me: Hm...you're right. n.n' Huh, guess I'm on a good vibe right now or something :D**

**Colette: Freakyanimegal owns nothing.**

**Me: In a totally unrelated story, 'The Big Bang Theory' on TV is awesome. n.n YAY LEONARD!! :D**

**Colette: O.o'..?**

"Do it again."

Lloyd let out a loud groan of frustration as he arched his back forward, slamming his fist unto the ground where he was sitting. It had taken

everything in him to just manage that and he fell right on his butt, and now Kratos was telling him to do it again?!

"Are you serious?!" he shouted up at the Seraph, who stood there with his arms crossed.

"As I said before, if you have enough strength to speak you have strength enough to continue," Kratos stated calmly, "this is training just like

anything else, just of a different kind."

Lloyd groaned again and then went to plop onto his back, but jolted up a split second later when he felt his wings crunch against the

ground...which was not a pleasant feeling.

"Y-Yeowch-!" he cried, jerking back up into a sitting position. "Dang it! These things are so-! GAH!"

The brunette groaned and scrunched his face up in pain, his wings twitching a bit. Kratos' stern expression lifted a bit before he walked over to

the boy and then knelt at his back to examine his son's wings. Noticing his presence, Lloyd opened his eyes and looked at him.

"Huh? What's wrong-?"

"You said they hurt?" Kratos asked with a frown.

"Y-Yeah, but that's just because I kinda laid on them-"

"Tell me if this hurts."

"Huh? What are you-? YEOWCH-! STOP THAT!"

Lloyd snapped at his father as the male frowned deeply, having just given the 'wing joints' a prod with his finger. Strange...the wings were

made of mana, they should not feel pain under pressure.

"Uh...what's with that look on your face?" Lloyd asked, fidgeting a bit.

"...Nothing," he stated as he stood up, "now, as I said, do it again."

Lloyd said a crude word very loudly, earning a glare from his father.

"Wh-? Oh! Er...sorry," he rubbed the back of his neck, "but come on, I'm exhausted!"

"I realize using mana for spells is not something you are accustomed to," Kratos closed his eyes and lowered his head, "however, if you are

capable of using magic it is best you learn. Now do it again."

The teen grumbled violently to himself as he staggered onto his feet, swaying a bit seeing as he was unsteady. He was definitely tired, it was

plain to see, but he still hadn't gotten the hang of the most basic angel spell...and Kratos knew full well that the boy was capable of doing it.

Very well, in fact.

"Again," Kratos said calmly, giving no sign of any troubling thoughts, "let your wings relax behind you, then will the rest of your body to relax as

well. Close your eyes, if it helps."

Lloyd huffed lightly before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, allowing his body to lay still.

"Now," Kratos explained, "clear your mind of any thoughts."

Lloyd remained silent.

"Now recite the incantation-...Lloyd?" Kratos stopped.

The man stared at the boy, who did not respond.

"Lloyd-"

Then the teenager let out a soft snore.

"..."

Kratos stood there in a numb silence. He had fallen asleep STANDING? He didn't think he had been working Lloyd THAT hard. Then again, he

had heard he was notorious for doing this type of thing during class back in Iselia...he just assumed that Genis was exaggerating.

Even at his age, he was still learning something new everyday.

"Lloyd," Kratos called.

He didn't responded.

"Lloyd!" he snapped a little more loudly.

"Zzz- Huh-? What?" Lloyd shook his head, opening his eyes. "What? What'd I miss?"

Kratos gave his son a look he had used several times before, the same like he gave him when Lloyd told him about his reason for using two

swords among other things the boy had said. The look that said: oh damn me to hell, it's all my fault, I should've raised him...

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lloyd asked.

Kratos sighed and turned for the warp portal.

"That's enough for today, let's go," he said.

"What? But I thought you wanted me to-?"

"Do you WANT to try it again?" Kratos turned his head over his shoulder to look at him.

"Nope," Lloyd said, dismissing his wings.

He had assumed so.

"So uh..." Lloyd said as he trotted up to keep in step with Kratos, "...do you think maybe one day I can do that really cool move you did before?

At the tower?"

Kratos tilted his head to the side slightly in a silent question.

"The one with all the light beams and stuff," Lloyd said, "it creamed us."

"Judgment," Kratos stated, "that is what its called."

"Really? Cool," Lloyd smiled, "so I can learn that someday?"

"Yes, though it is unlikely if you never manage to even cast Angel Feathers."

Lloyd pouted faintly before renewing his questioning.

"So what other spells are there for angel stuff?" he asked.

Kratos glanced at him before turning his eyes back to the path they had been traveling on that lead away from the training area they had been

using. Apparently there were a number of them, this one just happened to have a longer walk to and from the port.

"Besides Angel Feathers and Judgment, the novice spell and the expert spell, there are a number of others," Kratos stated, "Holy Song, as the

Chosen used, Sacrifice, Grand Cross, Retribution and a few others."

"So what do those do?" Lloyd asked.

"Holy Song as you know sharpens the senses in battle, Sacrifice depletes your mana to heal your allies and damage your foes, Grand Cross is a

light based spell akin to Judgment, but it is in a more concentrated- a smaller, area," Kratos explained, "Retribution is something like the

opposite of Holy Song, it harms your enemies rather than aids your allies."

"How many of those do you know?" Lloyd asked.

"All of them," Kratos stated.

"R-Really!?" Lloyd stared. "But the only one you used was-"

"I did not see a reason to use anything else," he said, closing his eyes.

"So you were just toying with us," Lloyd said in a huff, glaring at his father.

"If I used my real strength it is unlikely any of you would have lived."

Lloyd flinched a bit before scanning his father's composure. He was so...'whatever' about this. He knew there was a word for it, but he didn't

know what it was. Kratos was just...he basically had just said 'I could wipe your blood all over the floor and then mop it up with your corpse,

but it's really not that big of a deal'.

"Is something wrong?" Kratos asked, shattering Lloyd's thoughts.

"W-What? No, sorry," he said, looking away.

"...There is one more spell that I in particular am adept with," the Seraph stated, "it is called 'Shining Bind'."

"Sounds cool," Lloyd grinned, interested again, "do you think you could show me?"

"Not today," Kratos said, "but I suppose I will if you ever manage to master the basics."

"Hey, are you making fun of me?!" Lloyd pouted again.

Kratos smirked faintly before gesturing forward.

"The portal is right there," he said.

"Huh? Oh, it is..." Lloyd noted, "I didn't notice."

"Let's be off," he said as he walked forward.

"Okay," the teen nodded.

The two of them traveled through the warp point and into the city of Welgaia, Lloyd looking up and around the area once more. He always got

a cold chill being here, seeing all the other angels-

The other angels...

"H-Hey...can I ask you a question?" Lloyd said slowly.

Kratos glanced at him and then nodded.

"Earlier you said I was half-angel," he said, "so....does that mean I'm not- does that mean I never was human?"

"...Is that a problem?" Kratos asked softly, his eyes somewhat misted.

"W-Well, I guess not, because I'm still me," Lloyd bit his lip, "I guess I just thought it was kind of-"

He stopped in mid sentence and his eyes drifted to the ground, his face downcast. He knew it didn't matter if he was an angel now, or if he had

been a half-angel or was a half-angel or whatever, he was still who he was, right? It just...seemed strange. That and it kind of explained a

lot...

"What's wrong?" Kratos asked.

"Ah-? Nothing," Lloyd said, "just thinking a bit."

"Trying something new?" Kratos said with a slight smirk.

"Hah hah, go ahead, laugh at me," Lloyd pouted.

The teen headed off for 'their' home when Kratos' voice halted his procession.

"You used to love looking at the sky," he said softly, more to himself than anyone.

Lloyd flinched and turned to look at his father, opening his mouth to say something.

"I apologize," Kratos coughed lightly, "I was just remembering something. One of the things that made me realize you were not entirely human

while you were younger was that you seemed to have a bit of an unnatural liking for the sky. Your mother was a bit concerned about your

habits for a while...."

"Really?" Lloyd blinked. "Even back then, huh...?"

"Hm?" Kratos tilted his head to the side.

"N-Nothing," Lloyd stammered, "so uh...we're going back to Sylvarant tomorrow, right?"

"...Yes," Kratos stated, "we'll be heading for the Island Ranch near Palmacosta."

"There's an island ranch?" Lloyd blinked. "How many ranches are there?"

"Before we destroyed Magnius and Kvar's ranches, there were four," Kratos stated, "the only two remaining are Forcystus' ranch near Iselia

and the ranch Rodyle runs, which we will see tomorrow."

The teen bit his lip at the thought of having to go to another human ranch...and even worse not being able to do anything. He felt like a traitor,

to be going into a human ranch and not helping his fellow humans to escape. They didn't deserve that! All those people didn't deserve that...

Lloyd snapped back to attention when Kratos opened the door to their 'home' and walked in, heading towards the stairs that led to the upper

level of the building.

"Come, I'll show you your room," Kratos stated.

"My room?" Lloyd tilted his head to the side.

"Well you are not going to be using mine," Kratos stated, "it's just down the hall."

Oh yeah...he hadn't really gotten a chance to look around the place much. It turns out there was indeed another door in the upstairs hallway

which Kratos led him to and then opened.

"It is merely a spare, but you can have it," Kratos stated, Lloyd walking into the room that was almost identical to his father's, "I know it is not

much to your style, but please attempt to rest regardless."

The teen looked around, examining the place before he sighed with a brief nod.

"Y-Yeah..." he nodded, "I'll just have to deal with it."

Kratos looked at his son a minute before turning.

"Wait here, I'll get something for you," the Seraph stated.

"Huh?"

"It may take a few minutes, just wait here, all right?" Kratos said. "I trust you can take care of yourself."

"I'm not a kid," Lloyd pouted.

Kratos smiled softly before nodding and looking away to hide his expression.

"Just be careful, I won't be that long."

Then Kratos left.

Lloyd looked after his father with mild curiosity before situating himself to sit down on the bed. It was soft enough, at least...but the blankets

were too dark. Everything was too cold in this place, actually. The walls were that gray-blue, slate color, and if not that they looked like a pale

white shade. It made it feel like he couldn't breathe, or that he shouldn't breathe because it was just so quiet, so still, so lifeless. With a sigh

he plopped onto the bed, staring up at the blank ceiling above him. He frowned again. Not even the sky was blue here..

"Agh-!"

He jolted upright, his back tingling as if he had just been shocked by static electricity.

"D-Dammit....what the hell...?"

In a bit of an awkward movement he put his hand under his clothes reaching down his back, rubbing the area between his shoulders blades.

Why was it hurting- well, it wasn't 'hurting' persay, it was more like it was...pressured, like someone was pressing something against it. He

fidgeted and twisted a bit as he tried to remove the uncomfortable feeling before he stopped and let out an irritated huff, his eyes narrowed.

"Fine then," he said.

He closed his eyes and in a swirl of feathers and mana his wings blossomed from his back, flitting mindlessly behind him. Lloyd let out a soft

sigh of relief as he smiled, giving his wings a tentative flap.

"Huh...well, that was weird," he said, "...oh well, it feels nice anyway."

The teen flinched a bit as if surprised by what he just said before frowning and looking toward the window. The sky...twisted as it was here, he

still found himself with the desire to look out the window and up at the sky.

Lloyd turned from the window and stared blankly onto the blanket he sat on, finding himself lost in thought. He always just figured that he was

just...weird, which was why everyone always looked at him strangely when he talked about the sky. He closed his eyes and found himself

delving into his memories, the memories of his friends in Iselia when they were small. He had been twelve when this happened, if he

remembered right. Genis and the Professor had just come to live in Iselia, the younger sibling quickly becoming friends with himself and Colette.

They had been playing in the front of the Sage's new home when- after running about a good while- all three plopped onto their backs to

watch the clouds go by. They watched the fluffy white things, pointing out any that seemed to look like animals and the like. After a minute a

bird flew by...

_"I'd give anything to do that," _he had said.

"_What?" _Genis looked at him.

Colette giggled.

"_Lloyd wants to fly, silly, isn't he?" _she smiled with a slight blush, playfully teasing her friend.

"_W-What's silly about wanting to fly?!" _he had blushed.

"_Well...you just can't," _Genis had pointed out,_ "people can't fly, Lloyd."_

"_Angels can fly, though," _Colette had smiled sweetly, _"maybe that's why Lloyd thought about it."_

"_I'm right here," _he had pouted, _"and- and there's nothing wrong with wanting to fly!"_

"_Sorry, I'm just saying, it's not like you have wings-"_

Colette yelped a bit and Genis quieted, noticing the solemn expression on Lloyd's face.

"_...Lloyd-" _Genis started.

"_Yeah, I don't," _he had whispered, getting to his feet and glancing aside, _"...I'm...done cloud watching, okay? I'll... I'll see you all tomorrow, okay?"_

The teen sighed at the memory.

Colette knew how he felt about wings, ever since he had said that in school...he was always picked on for his 'wing obsession', but...but he

wasn't obsessed! He just...liked looking at the sky, he just felt like it was- well, okay, maybe it was a bit looney for him to feel like it was calling

him, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't help looking up at it and day-dreaming, he couldn't help feeling jealous of a bird stretching its wings

while it perched on a branch. Eventually he got better at hiding it, even ignoring it, but he never quite got RID of it. Usually he'd manage to

change his attention away from it if he caught himself looking out the window, or doodling feathers on his notebook (before Raine made him

stand). He was so proud of himself when he thought he had finally 'out grown the habit' but when he saw Remiel...

"_..Um, Lloyd?" _

He hadn't answered him, looking up at the sky.

_"Lloyd, are you okay? What are you thinking about?"_

Lloyd may not have been the smartest one around, but he knew enough to quickly think up something to say.

"_I...I was just thinking about angels," _he had said, _"it must be pretty inconvenient, huh?"_

"_Huh? Why do you-?"_

_"I- I mean it's just, they'd have to put holes in their clothes for the wings to go through," _he had laughed, _"and their furniture must have to be _

_shaped funny, and trying to sleep might be weird."_

"_Have you been thinking about this the whole time?" _Genis sighed.

"_W-Well, aren't you curious? Having wings and all-"_

"_Are you okay, Lloyd?" _Genis had said suddenly.

_"Huh? What do you mean, 'Are you okay'?" _Lloyd said a little too fast.

"_You're not...bothered by the wings, are you?" _

Genis saw right through him. Damn it, and he thought he had hidden it well. The second he saw those appendages growing out of Remiel's

back, the feathers, the way they flapped, everything just- just- ARGH! It had frustrated him! Why?! He didn't get it, why it frustrated him that-

well of course an angel had wings! Angels had wings, just like birds did! That was just the way things were...or that was how he had believed

it. Then of course, when Colette grew her own wings he had been so jealous as well. He didn't say anything, though. She had been in pain, he

had no right to be jealous, even when she first grew them he had instantly joined in the conversation with Raine and Kratos instead of paying

attention to the blonde's wings. He thought they had forgotten about it, his friends, he meant. Then Colette had to pull him aside in Izoold, a

couple weeks after the fire seal to talk to him.

"_Lloyd...are you sure you're okay?"_

"_Okay about what?" _

She had bitten her lip and glanced aside, fidgeting a bit.

_"That....is it okay that I have wings? Does it bother you?"_

Anyone overhearing would think she was self-conscious, not that the boy she was talking to would in fact be jealous of the blonde for having

said appendages in the first place.

"_Okay?" _he laughed. _"Why would that bother me? You're still you."_

"_Lloyd, you know that's not what I meant..._" she frowned, _"I know you...you-"_

"_We're falling behind with the others, let's go," _he said and walked off.

He felt bad for shrugging her off, but it was just getting too awkward for him. During the journey that little...thing, that he had 'grown out of'

had slowly hooked into him again. He found himself looking at the sky more often and whenever they stopped to rest he found himself carving

wings into any scrap pieces of wood he could find laying around. No one noticed, thankfully, otherwise the Professor would've tried to give him

therapy or whatever. He always thought that maybe he was just a little wacko, that maybe he wasn't quite as all right upstairs as he would

like to say he was, that it was just a quirk.

"..."

He looked over his shoulder at the glowing feathers and his face fell.

Now here he was, sitting with the coveted things growing out of his back, flapping them of his own will, feeling relief in his system with every

muscle he used to move the wings. A smile slowly came to his face as he reached out his hand and gently stroked one feather, a look of utmost

peace coming onto his face as he closed his eyes again. Kratos said he was never really human, that he was a half-angel. That explained

everything, all his little 'quirks', his desire to fly, to be in the sky, and the strange longing in his body he could never place that he now knew to

be the urge to flap his wings. So... nothing was wrong with him after all. He was supposed to want all that stuff, it was natural. Suddenly the

prospect of not being human comforted more than scared him. If he had been human than he would have been a weird one...but he wasn't.

Then again...he was one of a kind anyway, so he WAS a freak, but it wasn't his fault he was different...who said it was a bad thing anyway? He

grinned to himself and stretched his wings out behind him before letting out a content sigh.

"...Heh," he chuckled to himself, closing his eyes.

He was so lost in the perfect contentment he did not realize his father had returned until the door slid open.

"Huh-? Oh! D- Did you find what you wanted?" he asked, covering the 'D' word.

Kratos tilted his head to the side, examining the appendages behind the boy.

"What-? Oh..." Lloyd blushed a bit, "S-Sorry, I just...well..."

"You don't need to explain," Kratos stated, "I've brought you something. I figured it would be more to your tastes..."

The Seraph held a small potted plant in his hands, the tender green leaves seeming freakishly out of place in the planet, much less the room.

Lloyd's eyes went wide and he raced over to his father, staring.

"W-Where did you get-?"

"There is a botanical garden used to grow herbs for medicine outside Welgaia," Kratos stated, "this is an extra one that is able to live out of

the greenhouse, provided you water it. I recalled you saying you had plants in your home so I though that perhaps you'd like it."

Lloyd grinned widely and gladly accepted the plant, overjoyed at the prospect of life in this dreary city.

"Like it? I love it! Thanks!" he grinned. "I'll put it right-"

"I also want to give you this," Kratos said as the boy turned.

"Huh?"

Lloyd looked at him, still holding the plant as the Seraph held a picture frame out to him, a picture of Anna inside it.

"W-What? But you gave me your locket, isn't that your only picture of her-?"

Kratos shook his head.

"This is one solely of your mother, I have one of you and her both in my room," Kratos said somewhat awkwardly, glancing aside as if

embarrassed, "I figured you might...want it."

Lloyd looked at his father a minute before cradling the plant in the crook of one arm, taking the picture with the other. His eyes skimmed over

the healthy brown locks and the warm chocolate eyes, the smile on her tanned face making him smile in turn.

"Thanks, I'll put her right next to the plant so she actually has something nice to look at," the boy joked.

Kratos smiled softly before nodding.

"Get some rest, we'll be leaving in the morning," he stated.

Lloyd nodded and turned to place the objects on his bedside table, his eyes never leaving his mother's picture. He heard Kratos turn to leave

and then quickly turned to look after him.

"Ah-! Uh....G-...Good night," he said nervously, "...D...ad..."

The Seraph stopped with his back to him before letting out a soft 'heh'.

"Good night," he said, looking at him over his shoulder, "...and Lloyd."

"Yeah?" Lloyd blinked.

"You may wish to put your wings away if you're going to lay down."

The boy jolted and then laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck, dismissing the appendages.

"Y-Yeah, I knew that," he grinned sheepishly.

"Heh," Kratos smirked as he left.

**...It's not my fault. I just sit down, turn on the laptop and it goes 'Oyaaakooooooo....Freeeeaaaakkkkkyyyyy.....write oyakooooooooooooo'**

**Colette: O.o Does it really say 'freaky'?**

**Me: Well, no, it's my name, but you're kinda missing the point.**

**Colette: Oh. Okay. n.n Review please!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hm....this is chapter eight, right?**

**Colette: I think so.**

**Me: Hm...it's coming along smoothly. n.n I like it.**

**Colette: Freakyanimegal owns nothing. n.n**

**Me: I hope you enjoy! :D**

"So how do you work this thing again?"

Kratos sighed and then walked over to the rheaird his son was staring at as if it was a massive math problem he didn't know how to approach.

Lloyd had been happy enough to get back where there was grass under his feet and blue above his head, and he'd been ecstatic about the

wingpack ("How do they fit in there?! Could you fit a house in there?!"), but now when Kratos told him he was to fly it...they hit a roadblock.

"It's simple," he said as he walked over, "this is the ignition- the start button."

He pointed to a button in the center before pointing to the handles.

"You can control how fast you go by tilting the handles forward," he stated, "the further forward you tilt it, the faster you go. To slow down you

pull them towards you."

The explanation lasted a few more minutes before the Seraph pulled back and looked to his son for his reaction. Lloyd stared at him and then

at the craft a minute before sighing.

"Why can't we just use our wings?" He asked.

"These are faster, and you'd tire yourself out using your wings for such a long time."

The boy sighed again.

"Well...all right," he nodded, "I'm sure I'll get it once I try..."

Lloyd noted his father's face.

"...What's the matter? You look nervous about something," he said.

"Naturally," he sighed, "these aren't toys, you could easily fall or-"

"I've got WINGS," Lloyd said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, imagine what could happen if you didn't...?" the man sighed slightly, looking away.

"Hey," Lloyd pouted, "stop making fun of me."

"I'm not," he stated, "...now let's get going. You follow me, all right?"

The teen nodded briefly as his father boarded his rheaird, Lloyd getting on his own. He anxiously curled his hands around the handles, trying to

run down what everything was in his head. Okay...he could do this, he could totally do this. He glanced at his father who started the craft and

Lloyd gasped a bit as it hovered in the air, Kratos looked back at him and the teen quickly did the same. Startled by the engines he jumped a

bit before getting a hold of himself and looking back at his father. Within a few seconds, Lloyd found that he had been right. These things WERE

easy to get once you tried them...and they were fun too. With a grin he zoomed the craft forward to fly beside his father's.

"These things are awesome!" he said with his dopey smile. "How come I've never heard of them?"

"Sylvarant is the declining world, remember?" Kratos stated. "They haven't yet come across this type of technology, perhaps with the exception

of the ones the Renegades have."

"Oh," Lloyd said simply, "...hey..."

"What is it?" Kratos looked at him.

"Can I do a barrel roll on THIS?" he said hopefully.

"Absolutely not," the Seraph stated curtly.

"What? Why not?" Lloyd moped. "Come on, I'll be careful, I promise- WOAH! Hey, cool!"

The teen looked down and saw a smattering of specks on the shoreline beside the ocean they had been flying over. It didn't take much for him

to realize that the 'specks' were in fact Palmacosta.

"I can see all of Palmacosta from h-"

The brunette stopped suddenly when he looked down and realized that last statement was not an exaggeration. He COULD see all of it...when

he just glanced, it looked like a bunch of specks but when he actually examined it he could see...everything. The Church, the Government

Building, the steamship Isabella, the market area, even Caoca's shop... Lloyd's face fell. Chocolat. He had promised he'd save Chocolat, and

now here he was....

"We'll be landing now," Kratos stated, removing Lloyd from his daze.

"W- What? Yeah, right, sorry," he said.

The elder male looked at him for a moment before pulling the rheaird down toward an island that had come into sight. Further ahead was what

appeared to be a dome of some sort just sticking out of the ocean, which piqued his curiosity but he decided to ask once they landed. A minute

later Lloyd found that the island had a large opening in it that looked kind of like the technology used in Welgaia, but a bit different as well. He

hadn't paid much attention to that, however, seeing as there were a few Desians at the entrance.

"What do you think you're doing here?!" one shouted. "This ranch is no place for human scum like-!"

Kratos swiftly ejected his wings, locking the Desians in a steely glare. Both of the Desians gaped as Lloyd took his father's lead and

materialized his own wings behind him.

"I am Seraph Kratos Aurion," Kratos stated, "I assume Rodyle had informed you he expected a Cruxis Emissary?"

Though he expected it, Lloyd was still stunned when the soldiers saluted his father. What? It just...didn't register. A week ago the thought that

a Desian showing any sort of respect to ANYONE other than a Grand Cardinal was impossible. Now he was standing there with them

saluting Kratos? Then, he was also standing here as a member of Cruxis, with wings, wearing some white thing, Kratos was his father and his

friends hated him. Go figure.

"F- Forgive us, Lord Kratos!" one said. "W- We did not realize you were angels!"

"Lord Rodyle alerted us that a Cruxis angel would be arriving, sir! Please go on ahead!"

"Very well then," Kratos nodded, dismissing his wings, "come along, Lloyd."

Lloyd gave a wary look to the Desians before doing the same and following his father into the entrance. The entrance led to a tunnel of sorts

that was constructed of glass underwater. Lloyd gawked at the sea around them for a second before remembering what it was he wanted to

say to Kratos while they were walking in.

"The...uh, Desians-" he started.

"Usually minor angels like Remiel are sent to inspect the ranches, or Pronyma," Kratos stated, "but since this is your first assignment in Cruxis it

makes sense that this would be a proper task. I am merely here to 'show you the ropes' as they say."

He turned his wine-eyes to meet his son's.

"I know this will be hard for you, but you must act befitting the part of a Cruxis Angel," Kratos stated, "you must not show any concern for the

hostages, and no fear of the Desians. They are beneath you now, in this position you can have them killed on nothing more than a whim."

Lloyd's eyes widened somewhat before he bit his lip and glanced aside. He had been wondering why Kratos was able to kill Magnius and Kvar

when he was technically their superior...but if the Desians really did mean that little to Cruxis- Argh! It just made him mad! Sure, he hated the

Desians and all, but if Cruxis was their leader then they shouldn't have any right to treat their own people like crap! That just wasn't right...

"Remember," Kratos said again, "you must be indifferent to everyone except those that do anything that upset you. If that happens, then..."

He closed his eyes a minute before opening them again.

"I know you dislike looking down on others, but you must act as if you are superior," the Seraph continued, "to any of the Desians, though less

so with Rodyle, and the hostages must be treated nothing short of harshly, if any such situation arises."

"W- What? But I can't do that," Lloyd protested, frowning, "I-"

"It's for your own good, Lloyd," Kratos said a little more softly, "do your best."

"But I..."

"You there!"

Lloyd had been so wrapped up he conversation he hadn't noticed that they had entered another door. Kratos had been leading the way

through the corridor and they had just entered the main building of the ranch when more Desians instantly picked up on them.

"Who-?"

"I am Seraph Kratos Aurion," Kratos stated again, "I believe Rodyle should be expecting us?"

"You're from Cruxis?" the lead Desian asked, looking them over. "Well..."

"Hold on a second!" a female shouted. "That one there, isn't he the wanted human? Lloyd Irving?"

Lloyd flinched. Oh yeah....he was wanted by the Desians, wasn't he?

"I-" he started.

"You're mistaken-" Kratos started.

"No I'm not!" she snapped. "That's Lloyd Irving! I just transferred from the Iselia ranch, that is definitely the Lloyd that threatened Lord

Focystus in that rathole of a human nest!"

The teen's eyes flicked with rage, gritting his teeth as he started forward only to be stopped by his father.

"This is Ophan Lloyd Aurion," Kratos said dangerously, "he is my son, and your superior."

Ophan?

"What?! Bull!" another Desian shouted. "You think we'd fall for such a lie?!"

"Fine then," Kratos stated simply, lowering his arm, "Lloyd? Prove it for them, would you?"

The teen flinched and looked up at his father before his eyes narrowed and he nodded. Turning to glare at the Desians he spread his wings out

behind him, watching their eyes widen in shock.

"Is this enough proof for you?" he snapped.

"B- But that's impossible! You're the Lloyd from-" the woman stammered.

"So what?" he glared. "I am the one who was at Iselia, but that doesn't mean anything now, right?"

He nervously side-glanced to his father, who nodded simply.

"Quite so, the wanted status should be revoked shortly," Kratos said as he took up the speaking role, "now fetch Rodyle for us, or I may lose

my temper and...disable, a few of you."

Several of the Desians scrambled off looking for their leader, a few of them remaining.

"I- I apologize for her behavior, my Lords," the lead Desian said, "she will be dealt with for her disrespect-"

"What? But she didn't know-" Lloyd started.

Kratos silenced him with a quick glare, wordlessly reminding Lloyd of his situation. Quickly trying to remedy the situation he crossed his arms

across his chest and did his best impression of his father's scoff at the woman.

"She damn well better be," he spat, glaring at her.

It was a Desian. That's what he told himself, and that's how he managed to do it. Still...why did he feel bad about it, then? She was a Desian,

she deserved any kind of disrespect. All of them deserved whatever they got coming to them. ...Right?

"M- My humblest apologies my lords!" the woman cried, getting onto her hands and knees. "Please, I beg your forgiveness!"

Lloyd stared in shock at seeing a Desian, what had been his enemy, groveling at his feet and almost found himself about to be sick with the

disgust of the situation when Kratos snorted.

"Then I suggest you leave," he hissed.

The woman bowed deeply before running off as fast as her legs could carry her. The remaining Desian assured them that she would be

punished before trying to appease them further.

"Lord Rodyle will be here any second, I'm so sorry for making you wait-" he said.

"Well well, Lord Kratos! I do say, I'm humbled," a voice cackled.

The Desian moved aside as a purple-haired, creepy looking half-elf man walked toward them in a strange green garb that Lloyd couldn't help

but compare to a turtle. He had come up to them with a few Desians at his side, the other Desians in the room saluting.

"Hello Rodyle," Kratos said coldly, giving no sign of a genial greeting.

"Oh, as friendly as ever, hm?" he cackled again. "Hm? And who is THIS young man...?"

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end when the Desian looked at him through the spectacles, but Lloyd composed himself and tried to

think of what the right reaction would be.

"Give me your name and I'll give you mine," he smirked.

It was all he could think of! Genis said it was kinda arrogant, right? Isn't that what he needed?

Kratos sighed as the man threw back his head and laughed, clapping his hands.

"You must be Lloyd, hm? Quite a chip off the old block, Lord Kratos..." Rodyle smirked at him.

"Tch," Kratos spat, glaring at him.

Chip off the old block?

"Well well, nevermind that, I will gladly show you around my ranch," he grinned, his eyes narrowed in a creepy fashion, "I assure you, my lords,

that nothing is out of the ordinary here whatsoever."

"We shall have to see about that," Kratos stated simply, "I was at one of the ranches personally when I heard Pronyma talking to Kvar about

something concerning you. Saying you had gotten him 'wrapped up in one of your little schemes'."

"Oh yeah, I remember that!" Lloyd said, then quickly slumped back into a huff. "I mean...I was there."

"Oh? I assure you, the woman is simply mad," Rodyle said, "really, Lord Yggdrasill should replace her-"

"That is not your concern who Lord Yggdrasill chooses to serve him," Kratos said coldly, "now kindly show us your ranch."

"With pleasure," he bowed his head, his eyes never once leaving them, "now then, if you'll just follow me..."

Turtle-man (as Lloyd had dubbed him) started off down the path on the left which emerged into a large room that seemed to be riddled with

many traps of sorts.

"Quite an unusual amount of security, Rodyle," Kratos observed.

"Yeah, it's almost like you're trying to hide something," Lloyd glared.

He might not have been the tastiest chocolate in the box, but he DID have good instincts. Once Kratos pointed out the many traps, it was kind

of easy to come to that next conclusion.

"What? Everything is deactivated, my lords-"

"Exactly," Kratos stated, "turning them off solely because of our arrival draws even more attention to it."

"Like he's trying to hide he's hiding something," Lloyd pointed out again, mostly to himself.

"I- I assure you, this is standard security, we just had a bit of a malfunction and it is off while it is being repaired!"

Kratos 'hmph'ed and then gestured for the Desian to continue onward, Lloyd falling into step beside his father.

"Standard security involves cybits and radar activated machines," Kratos said, looking at Lloyd, "as you recall seeing at the Eastern Ranch and

the Northern Ranch."

"Must you explain such common knowledge, my Lord?" Rodyle asked.

"As you must know, I am instructing Lloyd on how to properly do this job," Kratos stated curtly, "so therefore I would appreciate it if you would

allow me to do so without any interruptions."

"Y- Yes, of course, my Lord, I apologize," the man nodded before continuing to walk ahead.

Lloyd constantly examined the surroundings, the machines and the Desians walking about their business. It was so hard to suppress the

instinct to pull out his swords, something he had almost always done whenever encountering a Desian and now he was...

"This is where the inferior beings are kept," Rodyle said.

Lloyd jolted as he looked up to see the Desian and his father a few feet ahead, looking down at something from what could be described as an

observation deck. There was a distinct sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he approached the guardrail and looked down.

"Oh my g..." his eyes widened in horror.

Down in what appeared to be a pit, humans were toiling away with the usual labors of a ranch, moving large objects, some were pulling the

muscles out of large clams he assumed were a dead type of seamonster...and then a loud snapping sound echoed as a few captives working

to hold open the shell lost their grip and one of the three people trying to pull out the muscle meat had their arm snapped cleanly off into the

shell. Lloyd gaped in horror as the captive screamed in agony and was quickly silenced by a Desian overseer snapping a whip against his bare

back, drawing blood before two more Desians grabbed the man and carried him away much like in the manner they would pull away a wounded

donkey. Some more hostages carried large loads of something or another on their back as the toiled past in a line, the Desians snapping at

them verbally and lashing at their heels with the whips.

"As you can see, they work without any sort of resistance," Rodyle stated proudly.

Kratos cast a quick glance to Lloyd, who looked like he was about to vomit.

"I see that," the Seraph replied to Rodyle, not glancing at the captives.

"Please come right this way," the crooked man said, turning to a ramp that descended into the pit.

Kratos watched the man leave before starting off himself, then turned when he noticed Lloyd hadn't moved from his spot.

"...Lloyd," he said calmly, but almost comfortingly, "we have to go."

"H- How can you just say that-?!" the teen started.

"Lloyd," Kratos said sternly, his eyes narrowed, "the sooner we finish the sooner we can leave."

"But...I...I..." Lloyd hesitated, looking down at the pit and then back at his father, "...please, don't make me-"

"I will not make you," Kratos stated, his features softening, "...not ever again. I will never make you do something again."

Lloyd's eyes widened.

"However, I would suggest we go in further," Kratos stated, "think of this: if we look hard enough we can find some reason to dispose of

Rodyle. Then perhaps..."

The teen looked at his father before swallowing hard and then nodding, glancing aside. Kratos said nothing and turned to go down the ramp,

Lloyd following reluctantly behind him. Damn the Desians, damn Rodyle, damn Cruxis, damn all of it! Grudgingly he stood beside his father and

glared at Rodyle when they reached the bottom, the Desian waving his arm around in a flourish, as if proudly displaying a work of art he had

strived to complete for many a year.

"I assure you, you will be completely satisfied with my ranch," he said, "as you can see..."

Rodyle began to list off the various tasks he had the 'inferior beings' undertaking, Lloyd following closely behind his father and daring only to

sneak quick glances around the area they walked through, all the crowds of his fellow human beings being treated worse than beasts of

burden. The smell of sweat and blood muffled onto him like a pillow against his face, the grunts and cries of pain echoing in his ears. He couldn't

take this. How could Kratos be so calm!? He could he expect him not to say anything, not to do anything?!

"M- Momma-!"

"SHUT UP YOU MISERABLE BRAT!"

Lloyd jerked his head to the side as a Desian brought down his whip on a crying little girl that couldn't have been more than seven. The teen's

eyes widened in horror as the lash snapped across her little back, the girl screaming desperately for her mother. Oh Martel, he couldn't take it-!

"St-!" he started

"Stop it!" another voice interrupted.

An older girl, about Lloyd's age with blue hair, dropped her burden and ran to the child, holding the wailing juvenile in her arms and curling

around her like a human shield, keeping her back to the Desian's whip. This of course, attracted the attention of everyone present, including

Rodyle and his father. Kratos turned and silently observed the scene as Rodyle began to fume with rage, walking forward to the scene while

Lloyd found himself unable to move.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you inferior wench!?" Rodyle shouted. "Get back in line! Right now!"

The elder girl's eyes widened in fear before darting around the surroundings, desperately trying to find anything, even the slightest hint from

the heavens that would tell her what to do. In a second of breathless panic she looked around and then caught sight of Lloyd's face-

"Lloyd...?" she whispered in a numb horror.

Oh goddess.

She was from Iselia.

"I-" Lloyd started, just as shocked as she was.

"That's LORD Lloyd to you, you licentious vermin!" Rodyle crowed. "How dare you-!"

"Lloyd!!!"

The girl, still holding the child, reached out and grabbed at Lloyd's pant leg, he eyes wide and pleading as she looked up at him, the brunette

she clung at unable to conceal his horror.

"Lloyd- Lloyd, it is you, isn't it!? What are you doing here!? Why-?! I don't understand-!"

"How DARE you-!" a Desian started.

"Lloyd, please!" she shouted, begging desperately as she looked up at him. "Please! You-!"

A Desian grabbed her by the hair, pulling her back harshly as she let out a yelp of pain, the child tumbling from her grip as the little girl began

to cry again, this time at Lloyd's feet. Kratos swiftly pulled the stunned young swordsman back, drawing him away from the scene.

"Put them both back to work, nothing happened," Kratos said curtly.

"Sir!"

"Lloyd! Lloyd, please-!" the girl continued to shout as the Desians pulled her away.

The teen looked away, unable to bring himself to react in any other manner.

"LLOOOOOOOYYYYYYYDDD-!"

Lloyd didn't turn to see what had silenced her. He stood there in a numb, half-alive fog, as if he had died. Like his brain had stopped, his

emotions had stopped, everything had stopped. The next thing he became aware of was his father's arm around his shoulders, the concerned

face of the Seraph looking down at him. He blinked and then slowly looked up at his father, the wheels in his head slowly beginning to run

again.

"...Dad?" he said numbly. "What-?"

"That inferior seemed to know you, Lord Lloyd," Rodyle's voice said from the side.

The teen jolted his brown eyes into a death-glare on the Desian's face, doing his best to suppress a growl.

"You-"

"It matters not," Kratos stated, "and if you continue to pursue it I will silence you."

"Begging your pardon, that reaction of his was a little...'odd'," he smirked slyly.

"It's an after effect of his angel transformation, he's still not fully developed," Kratos lied.

"Oh, in that case shall we continue onward?"

Lloyd dimly noticed they were no longer in the same room and his thoughts drifted to what just happened- then he immediately shut his

thought process down. No. He couldn't think about that. No...not right now. There was nothing he could do right now. His gaze locked on the

back of Rodyle's head, his blood boiling in his veins as his heart pounded in his ears.

That bastard was going to pay.

Dearly.

**More angst. n.n'**

**Colette: I think I want to cry....:(**

**Me: I think this is a pattern or something....angst, fluff, angst, angst, fluff, angst, fluff, angst angst....fluff.**

**Colette: Um...please review? **


	9. Chapter 9

**Captiulo nueve! Uno bajo numero diez! El Sklee!**

**Colette: Was that Spanish? o.O**

**Me: All except the 'el sklee' part, that was just me being a dork. :D**

**Colette:...Freakyanimegal owns nothing.**

**Me: EL SKLEE!**

Getting out of the ranch was something Lloyd never thought he'd be so happy to do.

"I'm NEVER going to another one of those places again, do you hear me? Unless it's to kick Rodyle's turtle shell from here all the way back to

Derris-Kharlan, I'm never going back!"

Kratos sighed softly as Lloyd repeated his frenzied rant, muttering curses under his breath.

"Lloyd..."

"How can you be so calm?!" Lloyd shouted at him. "How can you possibly live with yourself, just walking into one of those places and letting

people get treated like that?! I don't understand-!"

"Lloyd," Kratos said again, more sternly.

"What-?!"

Kratos placed a hand on his head, stunning the boy into silence.

"...Kr...?" he stared, blinking a bit.

"...I apologize," Kratos stated softly, "I truly never wanted you involved in all of this."

"...D..." he stammered.

Silently Kratos removed his hand and reached for the wingpack, turning his gaze from his son. As Lloyd watched the man begin to take out the

rheairds, a strange feeling stirred in him. He wasn't quite sure what it was...it was confusing. It was like someone had stuck a stick into his

heart and was slowly twisting it, his mind feeling light and airy along with the feeling. He didn't quite know what it was, but a thought made

itself apparent as a result of it.

He had changed.

What else could it be? Why else could he have come to accept, tolerate- even like, the man who had betrayed them, who was his...father? If he

had never experienced Kratos' emotions for himself, he would have rejected him on the spot. His father? His father had lied to them, deceived

them, and done all of that...to his own son? He would've refused to have believed it, he would have denied it, he would have fought... Why

was it...he could do it now? With a brief wince he recalled the horrible sensation Kratos had endured when he himself said that he hated him.

That pain...he did not expect such pain from an enemy, nonetheless Kratos...

"Lloyd? Are you all right?" Kratos' voice broke him from his thoughts.

"Y- Yeah...I was just thinking about something," he said, shaking his head.

"...We'll be heading back to Welgaia, now," Kratos stated, "we have to give our report to Yggdrasill."

"Report?" Lloyd blinked.

"We were sent to see if there was anything suspicious about the ranch, do you not recall?"

"W- What? So we gotta like...give an essay, kinda?" Lloyd recoiled in horror.

Kratos titled his head to the side, bemused.

"An...essay? I suppose that is one way it can be looked at..." he put a hand to his head in his usual fashion.

"So we gotta say what we saw-? But, but I didn't notice anything aside from the machines-"

"That's all right, I'll handle the talking," Kratos stated, "but I'm afraid I can't get you away from accompanying me."

"Oh..." Lloyd moped a bit, "...if I have to, I guess..."

His blood began to boil at the thought of facing the Cruxis Leader, each horrified and hurt face of his friends flashing before his eyes.

That...that...creep! He made him just as mad as Rodyle had. All those filthy Desians were-!

And then he flinched again.

...In the ranch, hadn't he...felt bad, for the Desians, even if it was only a bit? Hadn't he felt bad they were being used by Cruxis, hadn't he felt

bad for the woman who was to be punished for accusing him of being a wanted 'criminal', like he had been? Why? Why should he give a damn

about those slimy jerks that caused people so much pain? He was so confused...when did everything get so confusing? A few weeks ago, it

had all been cut and dry....

"Lloyd, what's wrong?"

"Huh?" Lloyd looked at Kratos.

The elder frowned, his eyes narrowing somewhat.

"I understand if you do not wish to tell me, but you look concerned about something."

"...I..." Lloyd trailed, shifting his weight as he glanced at the ground and bit his lip, "I'm just a little lost, I guess. I mean...I feel kind of like I've

missed something, I'm just confused-"

"About what, precisely?" Kratos inquired.

Lloyd's face fell.

"...You don't have to tell me, and if you wish you can tell me later," the Seraph closed his eyes, "for now, we should hurry back."

With a sigh Lloyd boarded his rheaird, not exactly ecstatic to be going back to that lifeless mass of mana, but it wasn't like he had a better

option. If he ran here, what would that accomplish? Either Cruxis would come after him, or Kratos would take the punishment...and he would.

Damn that cold jerk, he would... However, there was a bright side to this. Going back to Derris-Kharlan meant he would be in contact with Yuan,

who knew how his friends were doing. That, and if he could assist the double-agent, he'd be able to bring down Cruxis and free both himself

and his father- Kratos. And Kratos.

He felt that twisting feeling in his heart again.

"Let's be off," Kratos said.

"Right," Lloyd nodded.

They took off and Lloyd did his best to follow his father while trying not to think too much. It was easier said than done, of course, seeing as his

mind kept jumping to thinking of his friends, the last broken-hearted expressions they had on their face when he last saw them, reminding him

of the fresh wound. That girl from Iselia...she had been a pupil in class, one of the ones that always did whatever Raine said and chided him for

falling asleep. Why was she in a ranch? Then, the treaty was broken so... Oh no. That meant other people from Iselia might be in ranches

now....because of him? And not only had he done that, now he had the nerve to be WORKING for the man that had sent them to the ranches in

the first place. He flinched again at the thought of his classmate's face, guilt curling around his heart like tentacles that squeezed the life out of

him. When she was screaming he had turned away, he had turned away and let it happen.

Let it happen...

"..." he stifled a sob, trying to get a hold of himself.

How could he have let that happen!? How could he have just looked away, how could he have abandoned her like that?! This guilt...this

pain...he couldn't take it! He hated himself, hated himself! How-?

"Guh-!"

He grimaced and felt his wings slid out behind him. What? He hadn't called them out-

Then his eyes snapped open wide before they relaxed again, his pupils dilated and his gaze unfocused. It was then that Kratos realized

something was wrong with his son and his own eyes widened slightly in fear.

"Oh no..." he whispered.

* * *

When Lloyd was aware again, he was sitting on his bed back in Welgaia, his wings flapping calmly behind him as the room came into focus. He

felt a brief twinge of confusion before groggily looking around, catching sight of the plant and picture of his mother he had in the chamber.

What? What had just happened? Wasn't he just flying in Sylvarant? He groaned and brought a hand to his head, shaking it as if trying to shake

off the fatigue. What happened? Why-?

"Oh good, you're well again," Kratos' voice said as he walked in.

"D-?" Lloyd looked up at him. "D...id you bring me here? What happened?"

Kratos silenced him with a simple gesture as he held out a glass of water.

"Drink this, it'll help," he stated.

"What? Help what? What's going on?" he frowned, beginning to get anxious now.

"Your emotions were suppressed," Kratos stated, "I had been concerned it would happen."

"My...?" Lloyd repeated blankly. "What do you mean? My emotions-"

"You temporarily lost your soul," Kratos said calmly.

Lloyd's eyes widened to the size of plates.

"W- What?! I lost my-!? What?! Then why am I still-!?"

"Calm down, Lloyd," Kratos said softly yet firmly, forcing the glass into Lloyd's hands, "take a few sips, you'll feel better."

"But I-!" the teen continued to panic.

"This is a stage of the angelic transformation," Kratos said, "you have a key-crest, so it will only be a passing phase."

"But-!"

"I too experienced this," Kratos said sternly, yet softly, "if you relax it will pass more quickly."

"I-"

"Lloyd," Kratos glared, "if you become too stressed it will happen again."

Lloyd closed his mouth and attempted to calm his beating heart, his eyes wide. Not again, he didn't want that to happen again. Though he

didn't remember it, the thought was terrifying enough. Seeing Lloyd had attempted to calm down, Kratos once again urged the teen to take a

few sips, which he did obediently this time. Strangely, it did make the fuzzy feeling in his head lessen...

"Feeling a little better now?" Kratos asked.

Lloyd nodded slowly, looking down as he took another sip. After doing so he muttered something incoherent.

"What is it?" Kratos asked.

"...How come just this happened? How come I didn't lose my voice, or my sense of taste or-?"

"As I said before, I believe your exsphere has been shielding you from most of the effects," Kratos stated, "though it could not prevent this

one. I would not be too concerned, however, it will pass."

"W- Wait a minute! So it'll happen ag-?!"

"Lloyd..." the Seraph growled, reminding him to calm down.

"Er...so...it might?"

The angel closed his eyes a minute before opening them again.

"I already submitted the report to Yggdrasill," he stated, "you don't have to worry about it. For the next few days I want you to stay in Welgaia

and attempt to rest so as not to agitate your changing further."

"Huh? But...what are you going to do?" Lloyd asked, a bit afraid of the answer.

"...I have another mission down on the surface," Kratos said, glancing aside, "I want you to stay here until I return."

"What?!" the boy snapped. "You can't-! You can't leave me alone here-!"

"If I take you with me, it will only stress your transformation more," Kratos said calmly, "so I want you to stay here until it passes, unless you

wish to risk entering that state again?"

Lloyd continued to glare, but said nothing.

"...I will return as soon as I am able," Kratos said as he turned for the door.

"You're leaving now?" the boy asked, disappointment dredging down the tone of his words.

"Yes," he stated without turning back, "I apologize, but I must..."

"But..." Lloyd's face fell.

He didn't want Kratos to go. It was hard enough to stand it on this planet as it was, without Kratos it made it seem all the more...dead.

Though...he could have a better chance to see more of Welgaia. The thought of 'sight-seeing' didn't really intrigue him, but maybe he could

figure out something about the city's weak points...

"And Lloyd," Kratos stated.

"Y- Yeah?"

"Put away your wings."

"My-? Aw crap! Again!?"

Kratos watched him silently over his shoulder as the teen began to panic, putting his wings away after a second or two. Without another word

he opened the door and headed out.

"Take care, Lloyd..." he said softly.

And then he was gone.

Lloyd stared after him, a sound that might have been a word slipped from his lips, as if he had subconsciously began to say something and

then forgot about it half-way through. With a groan the teen plopped back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling once more. Great, just great,

he was stuck on this damn rock without the only companion he had.

"Man..." he glanced to the side, at his picture and plant, "...was he always like this, Mom?"

He got to his feet and looked at the two objects, smiling sadly at his mother's face.

"...I guess I can stand it, if I have to..." he sighed, rubbing his forehead, "still...this place gives me the creeps."

Looking up he noticed the plant Kratos had given him was looking a little withered.

"Be right back, Mom," he said, "I need to get some water."

With that he left the room and headed downstairs into the kitchen, looking around in a bit of a dumb silence as he tried to remember where

glasses were kept. Once he had done that he turned to the sink. He was glad he had seen Kratos use it, after all, they didn't have running

water in Sylvarant... So after filling the glass he headed back upstairs to water the only sign of life for miles, smiling a bit as he did so. He had a

lot of plants back home, and this kind of made him feel a bit more comfortable, to be doing something like that.

He heard the same sound he heard previously, the one that Kratos said signified visitors.

"Huh?" he blinked. "Did he forget something...?"

Though he wouldn't admit it, he was a tad hopeful in that assumption. When he got down to the door, however, he found it to be an entirely

different member of the Seraphim altogether.

"Yuan?" he stared.

"Can we talk?" the half-elf said sternly.

The man didn't give the stunned teen a chance to answer before walking inside, the door sliding behind them.

"Kratos isn't here, is he?" he asked, looking around.

"D-? You just missed him," he said, "he left like, two minutes ago."

"Good," Yuan nodded, "I heard you went to Rodyle's ranch."

"Y...Yes...?" the teen nodded slowly.

"What did you see?"

"Huh?" Lloyd blinked.

"...You are still willing to assist the Renegades, aren't you?" Yuan asked, crossing his arms.

Lloyd instantly nodded. Heck yes, whatever he could do against Cruxis the better.

"...We have been manipulating Rodyle to build something in his ranch, something we can not allow Yggdrasill to destroy," Yuan said sternly, his

eyes narrowed, "if he decides to take action against Rodyle before the time comes, we could lose our biggest chance at bringing down Cruxis."

"What? So...so what do you want me to do about it?" Lloyd asked.

"Tell me if Yggdrasill mentions anything about destroying the ranch, or if he sends you back," Yuan said, walking forward and handing Lloyd a

small device, "you can use that to contact me."

"Huh?" he blinked, looking at the small metal sphere. "How does it work?"

"It's very simple, just hold down the big red button to talk to me," the Seraph said, "don't let anyone see it."

"All right..." Lloyd said, pocketing the device, "so is-?"

"That's all the time I have right now," Yuan said, glancing around, "I was never here, understand?"

The teen, though a bit bewildered, nodded as Yuan did the same curtly and left Lloyd in silence as if nothing had happened at all. The brunette

blinked a bit after where his godfather had gone, then shook his head. Geez, the man talked fast when he had to, didn't he? He felt kind of

confused...but wait. They were building something? What? What could Rodyle be making that could be such a threat to Cruxis? Shuffling into

his pocket, he pulled the device back out. It was about the size of his palm, metallic with two circles on it. One was big, blue and dome-like, and

the other was a red button. Weird....how could this little thing let him talk to Yuan? Was it kind of like one of those things he had in his ear

when he went to Tethe'alla? Well, whatever, he'd use it if he had to...though he was quite tempted to play with it a bit right now. He sighed

and slipped it into his clothes, he probably shouldn't. Yuan certainly seemed anxious about something, didn't he? Was he scared of getting

caught here? Well...whatever, he didn't have much else to do now, since Kratos didn't think he could take care of himself. He pouted. Stay here

and rest...tch....Oh well, after all, Kratos said to stay in Welgaia, which meant he could have a look around...

"Hm..." he smirked a bit, "better than waiting around here."

He shouldn't be that mad if he went out, right? So long as he didn't do anything 'stressful', taking walks wasn't stressful, right? Content with

that frame of mind he went outside into the city of the angels, looking around at the buildings. He avoided looking at any of the angels, as that

only bothered him, but the rest of it was kind of cool, really... Most of the city was in a big dome, you could see the stars right out of it all the

time. That part was nice...he liked stars, but looking at them here kind of made him feel insecure... He sighed. It would be so much better if

Kratos looked at them with him- He shook off the thought and continued onward. No one really seemed to notice anything at all...they

just...floated. That was it. Lloyd looked away and began scanning the area for something that could be amusing-

And soon found it.

"Hey..." he said slowly.

The tunnels that connected sections of the city had ramps in them that moved, he wasn't quite sure why, seeing as the angels just flew

everywhere. Oh well, they were there and no one was doing anything with them... With a dorky grin he walked onto one of the ramps and

began walking the opposite direction it was moving in, then began a full on sprint on the opposite path. It was fun, like a game, seeing if he

could run fast enough against it to get to the other side. He managed to get to the other side before tripping and falling on his face on the still

ground, groaning an 'ouch' as he got to his feet.

"Woops..." he said, rubbing his head, "..."

Then he went back and tried it the other way. This continued for a few minutes, each time he tried to beat his time running to the other end

before someone on the ramp next to him rolled up beside him.

"They work better when you use the right one, you know."

Lloyd was startled by the voice and almost tripped again as the person picked him up and placed him on the ramp behind them, looking down

with a bemused yet somewhat condescending look.

"H- Hey! Don't sneak up on me like th- AH-!!"

Lloyd scrambled backwards before hastily getting to his feet, his hands hovering over his weapons. The tall, aqua-haired half-elf man put a

hand on his hip and tilted his head to the side in amusement.

"I take it you are surprised to see me?" he asked.

"F- Forcystus-! What are you-?! You-!"

"I routinely come up here every year or so to report the ranch status to Lord Yggdrasill," the Grand Cardinal said, "I must admit I was rather

surprised to hear you were here, but then, you are Lord Kratos' boy..."

Lloyd glared at the Desian, who merely smirked a bit.

"I've never met him myself, but I found that utterly ironic," he said.

"Yeah, you know what else is ironic?" Lloyd snapped. "I out-rank you, now, so-"

"I heard you killed Kvar," Forcystus said, suddenly stern.

"Y- Yeah...so?! That bastard deserved to-"

"Oh don't get me wrong," the man laughed, "I was going to thank you."

"Huh?" Lloyd blinked.

"That son of a bitch has been a plague on me for years..." he narrowed his good eye, "he even...the point is, I wish I had gotten the chance to

take care of him myself, is all."

"You...didn't like him?" Lloyd blinked, hesitantly following Forcystus as the exited the tunnel. "But weren't you comrades-?"

"Aren't we technically comrades?" he pointed out.

"..." Lloyd drew back.

"See?" Forcystus pointed out. "We serve the same cause, but we dislike each other-"

"Sh- Shut up! I'm not here because I want to be-!"

"And you think I am?" Forcystus glared.

"...What?" Lloyd said, blinking a bit.

The half-elf sighed and looked away, shaking his head as he did so and placed his hand on his hip.

"You think I wanted to do this? You think I grew up dreaming about becoming what I am?" he said, not turning to look at Lloyd. "...I hate

humans, that is true, I'd gladly exterminate each and every one of them-"

"Then why aren't you attacking me right now?!" Lloyd snapped.

Forcystus chuckled as he turned to face him.

"You didn't let me finish, I'd exterminate each and every one of them that treated my kin like scum," he said, "every one of them that abused

and used half-elves like me...I wouldn't hesitate to kill them. However..."

The male's face fell before his sighed and continued.

"My mother was a human," he stated, "there truly are some elves- not many, but there are some- that live in Sylvarant. My father was an elf

studying the Balacruf ruins when he met my mother..."

He closed his eyes a minute before continuing.

"My mother was the only human that treated me like I was something...treated me like I was worth anything," he said, "then one day some

bastards came to Luin- we'd moved there, once I was older, you see... They had been traveling around, massacring any half-elves they could

find. They targeted me, of course."

"...What happened?" Lloyd asked slowly, subconsciously being drawn into his story.

"...My mother tried to defend me and they killed her."

Lloyd recoiled as if he had been struck, stammering a bit as he tried to form a sentence.

"That's...that's..." he trailed.

"...I was about your age when that happened, that's how I lost this," he said, pointing to his eye, "they took my eye, and then..."

"Then...then what?" Lloyd pressed.

"Then I killed every last one of them," Forcystus said curtly.

Lloyd didn't know how to respond.

"What would you have done? You've lost your mother, haven't you? You know what it feels like, what would you have done had someone killed

her right before your eyes as she tried to save you-?"

"Sh- Shut up!" Lloyd shook his head, backing up. "You- You Desians are the ones that killed her, anyway-!"

"Kvar was the one that killed her," Forcystus corrected, "well...it was his fault, anyway."

"Y- Yeah, but-!"

"So just because one Desian killed someone, you blame every half-elf in existence?"

"What?! No! I didn't say that!" Lloyd said. "Not all half-elves are Desians! I don't hate half-elves! I hate Desians!"

"...I see," Forcystus nodded, "so you understand, then."

"Understand?! Understand what-?!"

"I hate humans that hurt half-elves, you hate half-elves that hurt humans," Forcystus said, "we're the same."

"The same!? I don't torture innocent people in a ranch-!"

"No, but now you command those who do," he pointed out.

Lloyd looked as if he had been slapped.

"...I did not take this position because I wanted it," Forcytus said, "what choice did I have? I was alone, I had no one, I had nothing...."

"That's no excuse to hurt innocent people-!"

"Tell me, Lloyd," Forcystus said as he narrowed his eye, "if you lived your life with no one to care for you, with no one that would be kind to

you, what would you do? If you lived alone, if friends were nothing but a figment of your imagination, what would you have to live for? If you

were hated, shunned, and hurt just for being what you are, what would you have done? In the Desians there were people like me, people

that would treat me as a person, as if I was alive..."

He snorted and looked away.

"You can't possibly understand what it would mean, to have the chance to truly be alive..." he trailed, "the chance to have someone. You can't

possibly understand that loneliness...you can't possibly understand how desperate you would be for someone like you."

"That's..."

"I did not- I would not live my life looking over my shoulder," Forcystus said, "I would not live always ashamed and hiding because of what-"

"You didn't have to!" Lloyd shouted. "If you weren't doing anything wrong, you should have just lived proudly in the open!"

"It's not as simple as that-"

"It's not easy, but it's simple!" the teen said. "If they have a problem with you, and you haven't done anything wrong, they're just being

stupid! It's not your fault if people can't accept things, it's theirs!"

"So don't you think it's justified?" Forcystus asked. "Don't you think that, if half-elves had to put up with that, we should have the right to do it

back? Don't you think that we should have what we deserve, that humans should have what they deserve?"

"Not all humans do that!" Lloyd shouted. "I...I understand you've suffered, but that's no excuse to hurt innocent people! It's okay to feel

bad...it's even okay to be angry, I thik, but the second you hurt someone that hasn't done something wrong, the second you make someone

suffer that hasn't harmed anyone else...that's when you stop being a good person and become a murderer!!"

Lloyd glared defiantly at Forcystus for what felt like an hour before the half-elf smirked and shook his head.

"The world isn't that cut and dry...you're a bit naive-"

"Naive or not, what's right is right! Experienced people make wrong conclusions all the time! So it doesn't matter if I'm navie, or stupid, or

ignorant or whatever! The truth is still the truth!" Lloyd said. "I will never believe it's okay to hurt innocent people! Human or half-elf!"

Forcystus looked at the boy intensely for a good long while before he closed his eye and a faint smile came to his lips.

"You're an interesting human, Lloyd," he said.

"I'm an interesting person," Lloyd said sternly.

The Desian threw his head back and laughed.

"It was a pleasure speaking with you, Lloyd Aurion," he said as he walked off.

Lloyd frowned in a huff as the half-elf walked off through the city.

"What a weird Desian..." he muttered.

**If you can't tell, I like Forcystus. n.n **

**Colette: Huh...(blink)**

**Me: Review if you wish. n.n I hope you liked it...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter...ten? o.O' WOO! Break out the funyuns and call out for pizza! X3**

**Colette: Huh?**

**Me: Disclaimer.**

**Colette: Oh! Right! n.n Freakyanimegal owns nothing! :D**

**Me: Enjoy. n.n**

Lloyd took a deep breath as he steadied himself, closing his eyes as he tried to concentrate. It shouldn't be that hard, it had looked so

easy...felt, so easy. Then again, Kratos knew what he was doing when he had done it with his body, so it might be a little harder. He opened

his eyes and looked down again, swallowing a bit nervously. Looking over his shoulder he gave his wings a tentative flap before taking a deep

breath.

"Okay...here we go..." he said, "...BONZAI!"

Lloyd ran off the top of the tall building giving his wings a strong flap as he ran out of solid footing beneath him and into the empty air. He

began to fall a bit and in a panic flapped his wings harder, managing to get himself to hover steadily in the air.

"Whe," Lloyd sighed in relief, "okay...let's try..."

He flew a bit to the right, then a bit faster, then back to the left, then faster...there, it wasn't that hard to get the hang of. He grinned at his

accomplishment, this would be fun...

"Okay! Now we're getting somewhere!" he grinned. "Let's...do this!"

He flew in a quick circle, before attempting to fly upside down- then staggered a bit in mid-air before stabilizing.

"Woah- all right...upside-down, no go," he laughed nervously, "huh, well, maybe if I tried this..."

Within minutes Lloyd was zipping through the empty air around Welgaia like a fly, going in loop-de-loops and whirls and dives and climbs and

anything else he could think of. He even managed to finally do a barrel roll, and was just getting over the rush of his accomplishment when he

bashed into someone, having not been paying particular attention. Said person had been walking- or rather floating- out on one of the

balconies when the energized teen flew smack into her back. Lloyd lost control and fell on his face on the floor, his wings jerking.

"Oof-!" he said.

"Why you clumsy little-! How dare you run into m-...oh..."

Lloyd looked up at the sound of the voice and tried to fight off the annoying feeling he knew it. The color drained from his face at the sight of

the Desian Leader, Pronyma, as she crossed her arms over her torso and looked down at him with a smirk.

He wasn't quite sure he liked the smirk.

"Well if it isn't Lloyd," she purred, "you look different in white, I did not recognize you."

"You..." Lloyd's eyes narrowed as he quickly got to his feet.

"Now now, young Lord Aurion, should you be so rash?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. "You really should calm yourself, your behavior

is not befitting of your status here."

"Don't you tell me what to do-" Lloyd started.

Then something happened that creeped the living hell out of him. In mid-sentence, Pronyma had leaned forward and began to stroke the side

of his face with her hand. He went wide-eyed and blushed wildly in embarrassment and stunned horror as she giggled.

"You are such a good-looking young male, even for a human," she purred, "I suppose you must take after your father in that, Lord Kratos has

ever been the attractive one.."

"G- Get your hands off me-!!" Lloyd shouted, backing off as far from her as he could on the platform.

"So shy," Pronyma smirked, "you really are young, aren't you? I take it you haven't lost it yet, have you?"

"L- Lost what-?"

Pronyma's eyes narrowed sultrily as all the color drained from Lloyd's face in complete and downright horror.

"OH G-!" Lloyd shouted, recoiling in disgust.

"Poor little boy, I have some human pets you could have, if you're that inexperienced-"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!!" Lloyd shouted, flying off as fast as he could.

He zoomed away at such a sped that if the angels had had something resembling a mind, they would have wondered what exactly had just

happened. Lloyd landed on the far side of Welgaia, panting heavily as he tried to shake off what had just happened and catch his breath. What

a FREAK! He shuddered at the mere thought of her. All these people that worked for Cruxis were FREAKS-! ...Well, okay, true, he worked for

Cruxis now....and Yuan was kind of wacky, but he was sane- maybe- and Kratos was here and all... Sure, they all had wings, but other than

that they had nothing on Pronyma- that was her name, right? The lady at the ranch? The Desians were all a bunch of- Forcystus, actually,

seemed a bit different, but...

"Had your first encounter with Pronyma, did you?" Yuan asked, having been walking down the street Lloyd was on.

"You- how do you LIVE with that?!" Lloyd cried, pale. "She- She's-!!"

"A slut? Yeah, you get used to it," Yuan sighed, "just don't act all embarrassed, she loves that."

Lloyd visibly shuddered.

"Well, how have you been doing? Besides just now, I mean?" Yuan asked, crossing his arms.

"H- Huh? W- Well...I was practicing flying for a bit..." the teen trailed.

"I see that, have you managed to cast Angel Feathers yet?"

Lloyd flinched before rounding on his godfather, red in the face with embarrassment.

"H- How did you-!?"

"I know things," Yuan smirked, "and I take it that's a no, have you practiced it at all lately?"

"Uh..." the teen trailed.

"No again, I see," the Seraph sighed, "...well, come along."

"Huh?" Lloyd blinked.

"I'll help you with it," Yuan said as he looked over his shoulder and walked off, "unless you'd rather wait around here for Pronyma to track you

down again, and trust me, she will, that woman can smell fear for miles..."

The teen swallowed nervously and followed the half-elf male down the street, not wanting to be caught by the Desian again. Geez, about four

days had gone by fine, and then he had to run into another Desian... Well, he couldn't met any more, at least, the others were dead-...except

maybe Rodyle. His eyes narrowed at the thought. Rodyle...that son of a-

"By the way, Lloyd," Yuan asked, "we're walking, why do you still have your wings out?"

"Huh? What?" Lloyd blinked. "O- Oh! Sorry about that..."

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he dismissed his wings. Yuan gave him an odd look but said nothing until he turned to face the

path in front of them again. Lloyd let out a sigh of relief. It was weird, but it just felt so...natural, with his wings out like that... It always

seemed to bother him when he didn't have them out, like they itched from the inside...

"You've been to the training field in this section, right?" Yuan asked. "Or did Kratos take you to the other one?"

"Huh? Uhm...he always took me to the one you get to past the place where they store the mana fragments and stuff," he said.

"Ah, then you haven't been to this one yet," Yuan said, "no matter, they all serve the same purpose."

Yuan was right, it looked basically the same from the one he always went to with Kratos. The only difference- as far as he could tell- was that-

well, actually, he couldn't quite tell what the difference was. Something in his gut told him it was SOMETHING, but he didn't know what it was.

"This room has a higher concentration of mana than the one Kratos took you to," Yuan explained, "if you problems casting the spell, it may be

because you lack practice channeling mana. If you manage to use the spell here a few times, it should be easier to do it elsewhere."

"Woah, really?" Lloyd blinked. "Sweet! So-?"

"So you're being handicapped," Yuan smirked, "oh well, you must crawl before you can walk."

Lloyd glared at the half-elf man and snorted a bit as he glanced to the side. Yuan's smirk grew before he laughed a bit, which startled Lloyd.

The teen flinched and looked at the Seraph for an explanation:

"W- What's that about?" he asked.

"Nothing," Yuan said as he closed his eyes, "it's just, you're getting more like your father by the day."

The teen twitched.

"H- Hey! I-"

"Is that so much of an insult?" Yuan asked, tilting his head to the side. "You really dislike him that much?"

"W-What? No! I didn't say I disliked him!" Lloyd stammered. "It's just, I don't want to be anyone other than me!"

"...I see," Yuan said slowly, "heh."

"Great, now what are you laughing about?" the teen pouted, crossing his arms in a defensive posture.

"Nothing, now take out your wings," Yuan instructed, "I trust Kratos taught you the basics on how to use magic, correct?"

Lloyd nodded and moved out a ways enough so any backfired spells would not go awry any further.

"Okay, let's see you try it first and then I'll see what you did wrong," Yuan said.

"Hmph, you're so sure I'm going to get it wrong?" Lloyd moped.

"Pretty much," Yuan smirked coyly.

Damn it was infuriating when he did that...

"Fine then..." Lloyd glared, "get ready to eat your words!"

Lloyd spread his wings and began to focus his mana, attempting to do as he was instructed by Kratos. All right, calm, channel mana, clear mind,

focus, focus- huh-? No! Focus...

"ANGEL FEATHERS!"

Nothing happened.

"...Eat my words, huh?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Lloyd growled.

"Try it again, this time, don't let your emotions get in the way."

"Then stop making me mad!"

"Teenagers are so sensitive..." Yuan rolled his eyes.

Training continued very much like that for a few hours before Lloyd found his mana exhausted as he sat on the ground panting, his wings

twitching at random intervals. Yuan shook his head.

"How on EARTH can you not get it yet?" he asked. "It's the easiest one!"

Lloyd groaned a bit, deciding not to retaliate this time. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he get this damn spell? Colette could do it no

problem, no one even taught her! Why was he having such a hard time...?

"...Lloyd," Yuan said.

"Huh-? AH!!"

Lloyd jumped aside as mass of electric mana zoomed past him.

"W- What was that f-?!"

Yuan attempted to attack him with a sword he had strapped to his back, not his weapon of choice, but it was necessary at times if he did not

have time to draw at his swallow. Either way, he was not as fluent with this as he was his main weapon, so he should not harm Lloyd TOO

badly...

In theory.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Lloyd shouted, parrying Yuan's swipe.

CLANG!

Lloyd gasped as one sword went flying, the second one a moment later.

"Oh damn-!" he gasped.

The blade came for his throat-

"ANGEL FEATHERS!"

Yuan's eyes widened as he leapt back and used force-field, the arrow-like green-blue feathers deflecting harmlessly away from the shield. Lloyd

stood in place and gaped like and idiot at what he had just done as Yuan smirked and sheathed the sword, clapping his hands softly.

"There we go, see? Not hard after all," he chuckled.

"W- What-? How did I-? What was that all about?!"

"The problem with you is you do not 'focus', you 'react'," Yuan said as he crossed his arms, "you are the type of person that lives by instinct.

That is not a bad thing, however, if it can be met with and applied to knowledge. The reason you were able to cast it now was because it was

instinctive."

"Huh?" Lloyd stared.

"..." Yuan shook his head, "your body knew it was in danger and it reacted, it's instinct."

"Oh!" Lloyd said. "So...kinda like- hey wait, casting spells isn't an instinct-"

"For a human, no," Yuan put a hand to his chin, "though I am impressed you didn't even have to cast..."

"Y- Yeah! Hey! Why did you attack me like that anyway!?"

"To get you to use the spell, why else?" the half-elf said nonchalantly.

Lloyd was about to yell at the Seraph some more when what the blunette said hit him.

"Wait...it's an instinct because I'm half-angel?" Lloyd asked.

Yuan shrugged.

"That would be my assumption," he said.

"...So....I can just use it whenever?"

"I wouldn't say that," Yuan crossed his arms, "you can use it when threatened, if you know the incantation as you just did, but I doubt you

could use something like Judgment like that."

Lloyd sighed.

"Man, I don't get any of this..." he sighed.

"How long has it been since Kratos left, by the way?" Yuan asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Huh? Um...three- no, four days, I think...." Lloyd said, "why?"

"Just curious," he said, "I have an update on your companions, by the way."

"You do-?!"

Yuan silenced him, glaring at the swordsman as he flinched and then rubbed the back of his neck apologetically.

"...They're in the Toize Valley Mine, as of now," the Renegade told him, "all of them are well, though they're trying to get a material to cure one

of their new companions, a girl by the name of Presea."

"Presea..." Lloyd bit his lip, "is she a girl with pink hair?"

"Hm? Ah...you've seen her, I forget," Yuan said, then nodded, "yes, that's Presea. Your little friend has got quite the crush on her, I believe,

and he has pretty much taken over your little gang since the tower."

"My little-? Genis?" Lloyd blinked. "Genis is in charge?"

"Startling, isn't it?" Yuan smirked. "I guess you were quite the role model for him, apparently once you supposedly betrayed them, he was the

one that got everyone that knew you on their feet."

Lloyd winced a bit and then thought about what Yuan was telling him. Genis was in charge? Heh, kind of funny, actually, but if he was keeping

everyone's spirits up, then...that was good. The teen smiled in content, proud of his friend. Genis...he'd grown up a bit since he last saw him.

"I thought I might find you here," a voice said.

"D-! You're back!" Lloyd said, his face lighting up.

Kratos had appeared on the training field, smiling faintly at his son's expression before reclaiming his usual demeanor, his wine eyes glancing

over at his fellow Seraph who tensed a bit at his appearance.

"Training, Yuan?" Kratos asked simply.

"I'll have you know I was teaching your brat here a few things," Yuan scoffed, "he is now capable of using Angel Feathers, thanks to me.

Well...he can do it, at the very least."

"Oh really?" Kratos turned to Lloyd. "You can?"

"Y- Yeah!" Lloyd grinned, nodding. "Yuan helped me out- though kind of rudely..."

"He attacked you, didn't he?" Kratos asked simply.

"Now what makes you think I'd do something like that?" Yuan smirked.

"Because I've known you far longer than I would like," the man said coldly.

"...Ouch," Yuan said simply.

"So, where have you been?" Lloyd asked, sheathing his retrieved swords and walking up to his father.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you," Kratos said, "at any rate, have you been all right here? You haven't experienced any...conditions?"

Lloyd shook his head.

"No, not one," he said, "though...I did run into a couple Desians-"

"Pronyma," Yuan supplied, making the normally stoic man twitch slightly.

"Did she do anything to you?" Kratos asked a little too quickly.

"What-? No, but she creeped the hell out of me, that's for sure..." the boy shuddered.

"I see, I'll have to talk to her about that," his father said dangerously.

"Er...yeah," Lloyd said, "so, you're going to stay for a while, right?"

Kratos looked at his son for a moment without responding physically or verbally, Yuan's eyes narrowing as he scanned the scene playing out

before him. Anything could give him an edge, if he just caught it... The ancient human however, merely turned from him and started back

toward the portal.

"Let's head back to the house," he stated, "you need to rest after training so extensively."

"Hey! You didn't answer me!" Lloyd scoffed, following his father. "Bye, Yuan! Thanks for helping me and stuff!"

"Don't mention it," Yuan said, "it annoys me."

Lloyd sent his godfather one last grin before running through the portal after his father. Yuan stood there in silence looking after where the

Aurions had left, his face stern and cold. Though Lloyd was definitely going to prove to be an asset, one way or another, he could also be a

problem...if he didn't get a grips on his angelic blood, the boy would be nothing but dangerous.

"Let's see how this plays out," he muttered to himself before leaving as well.

Through Welgaia, Lloyd followed his father in an eager fashion like that of a puppy following its master, something that Kratos did not miss. His

son seemed uncannily happy to see him again, it rather reminded him of when the boy was young and he would follow his mother around...

"So where did you go, again?" Lloyd asked.

"I told you, I can't tell," Kratos stated calmly, "however, when I was delivering my report to Yggdrasill he told me something that you may

find...interesting, at the very least."

"Huh? What?" Lloyd asked, his eyes narrowing.

"He wants us to keep tabs on Rodyle," Kratos stated, "he's been wandering around Tethe'alla lately, and that is not something he should be

doing. Tomorrow we begin tailing him."

"So...we get to go to Tethe'alla?" Lloyd asked slowly.

"Correct," the Seraph nodded.

Lloyd wasn't sure how to feel. For one, he was SO glad to have any excuse to get out of this city, two, he'd get to track down that bastard

Rodyle, three, he could be with his father...but four was a big one, even in face of all the others: his friends. They were on Tethe'alla, right? But

then...what could be the chances they would run into them? Tethe'alla was a world, after all...and he wasn't even sure if he wanted to avoid

them or not. Sure, he was scared of seeing them again...but he also missed them dearly.

"Oh, Lord Kratos, you're back," a voice purred.

Kratos stiffened and Lloyd found himself backing up behind his father as Pronyma came forward, smirking.

"Pronyma," Kratos said simply, "I understand you held conversation with Lloyd, earlier?"

"I was merely talking to the Ophan," she smirked, tilting her head to the side, "the boy isn't much like you, I must say, with exception to the

attractive faces of course..."

"Stay away from him, Pronyma, that's an order," Kratos glared.

"Now, don't be like that-" she started forward.

"Don't get near us you slut!" Lloyd shouted.

"S-?! My dear boy, that's offensive-"

"Don't call me 'dear'!"

"Pronyma," Kratos said again, a little more forcefully, "leave."

The Desian went to protest but knew by the look on his face she would not win. Instead she sighed and made her way off into the city, the

Aurions watching her leave to make sure she did not attempt to come back.

"..." Kratos 'said'.

"I don't like her..." Lloyd muttered a bit, "by the way, what's an 'Ophan'?"

"Hm?" the Seraph looked at him.

"She called me an 'Ophan'," Lloyd said, "and you called me that earlier, too..."

"Ophanin is merely a rank of angel," Kratos stated, "you are not qualified to be of the Seraphim, a Seraph, you are classified as an 'Ophan'."

"So I'm not the same rank as you or Yuan, pretty much is it, right?" Lloyd blinked.

"Yes, but you do outrank everyone else," Kratos said as he crossed his arms, "one of the...'benefits' of being of relation to myself..."

"Hmph, 'benefits' my ass," Lloyd said flatly.

"...I know," Kratos nodded, "...we're here."

Lloyd gave a sigh of relief as they walked in to what served as their 'home', though Lloyd didn't like to think of it that way. The place wasn't his

home....but he could deal with it for now. After all, his father was here... He shook his head. Anyway, tomorrow was when they'd go to

Tethe'alla. Tomorrow... He grimaced as a twisting feeling knotted in his gut. Something was going to happen tomorrow, he wasn't sure what,

but he could tell... Antsy now, he began to pace the den, a frown on his face. Kratos took note of this.

"Lloyd? Is something wrong?" he asked.

"W- What? I'm fine...I'm just a little anxious, I guess," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"...You're certain that you did not experience any more times where you have lost your emotions?"

Lloyd nodded, folding his arms over his chest with a slight pout.

"Of course I'm sure! I would remember- well, I would know if I stopped remembering, anyway..." he said.

"All right," Kratos said simply with a brief nod, "if you're sure."

"I am!" Lloyd said.

There was a long silence as Kratos and Lloyd looked at each other, a sudden and strange silence settling in on them. The teen looked away

and coughed into his hand before sitting down on one of the chairs, attempting to get somewhat comfortable as he looked at his father again.

"So...um..." he said, "...can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"...Can we...go look at the stars?"

Kratos tilted his head to the side in mild amusement before nodding.

"I see no harm in it...but afterward you are to get some rest for our task, understood?"

"Yeah yeah, I know," Lloyd said, huffing a bit before grinning, "okay! Let's go!"

The brunette raced for the door in his usual energetic fashion as Kratos slowly smiled and followed after him. Inwardly, however, he continued

to frown. Rodyle was suspected of going after the Chosen's Cruxis Crystal. If this was the case, if they were to follow Rodyle it was also a

highly likely possibility that they would run into Lloyd's friends... What he would do if Rodyle attempted to take the Chosen, he wasn't quite

sure. He looked ahead at Lloyd's back and sighed. Tomorrow he'd have to make it clear that no matter what happened, Lloyd was in Cruxis,

and he would have to act like it. No matter what.

**X3 And next chapter....MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!**

**Colette: Oh no...:'( I hope Lloyd is going to be okay...**

**Me: Oh don't worry about it, Colette, I always have it come out right...it's the path there that is...interesting. X3**

**Colette:...(Sigh) Review if you want...n.n' **


	11. Chapter 11

**WOOT! I made it to chapter eleven. n.n**

**Colette: Yes! n.n Freakyanimegal owns nothing.**

**Me: Please enjoy. n.n' **

The next day, Kratos found himself holding his son back and covering his mouth as he tried to restrain the boy. Tailing Rodyle had gone

relatively uneventful, the half-elf merely seemed to be wandering about Tethe'alla for no apparent reason...to Lloyd's eye, at any rate. Sure, he

was having a bit of trouble keeping up with his father in terms of stealth, having to use his wings because rheairds were too loud and just

watching was so...boring. However, not long after they had followed the half-elf around, the Desian had proceeded to mount dragons and fly

off somewhere. This time, they were able to use the rheairds provided they stayed far enough away. Kratos had guessed he was waiting for

something around Ozette, thus they took to hiding in the foliage near the town where they could fully see the town square. It had gone

well...due to circumstance. Lloyd had watched in silence as his friends walked into the square and were attacked by the Papal knights...

_Lloyd took in a sharp intake of breath and gripped his swords, Kratos grabbing his wrist to stop him._

_"We can't be involved, Lloyd," Kratos said, "they can handle this."_

_Lloyd went to protest as he was cut off by Genis' voice._

_"Whatever, bring it on!" the half-elf snapped, already in the midst of casting._

_The teen frowned and went to unsheathe his sword when his friend surprised him by unleashing a powerful spell that cleaved through about two of _

_the knights, startling his friend that hid in the foliage. The knights fell relatively quickly and to Lloyd's surprise Genis had indeed taken up the position _

_of 'leader'. His casting was almost instantaneous and he had even gotten a knack for nailing people in the forehead with his kendama at just the right _

_speed and place to knock someone out. Once Sheena or one of the others had managed to get the helmet off, the smart-aleck proceeded to knock him _

_out, or at least cause him to flinch long enough to send them to the next world with a spell. As the last knight perished with a 'Flame Lance', Genis _

_smirked and landed the ball back on the kendama._

"_Keep working on it," he said, scratching his nose._

_"..." Lloyd frowned._

"_Is everyone all right?" Genis asked, looking around._

"_Yeah, I think so," Sheena said._

"_Of course, o fearless leader," Zelos mock saluted._

"_That spell was amazing, Genis!" Colette chirped._

_Lloyd watched from the sidelines and felt as if a weight had been strapped onto his chest, his eyes misting. He was glad his friend had improved, but _

_that he had to take up the role like that that had once been his...because he had gotten- no, he shook his head, thinking about it wouldn't help _

_anything right now. _

"_They were after me again...I'm sorry everyone," Colette said._

_But it wasn't her fault...it wasn't her fault at all..._

"_Stop apologizing, Colette!" Genis said. _

"_Yeah, they're after all of us," Zelos said, "Sheena's from Mizuho, now considered a village of traitors, Regal's wanted for failing to take you, Genis and _

_Raine are half-elves."_

_Lloyd jolted. W- What? They were?_

_"You never did notice that, did you?" Kratos said softly._

"_I didn't-" Lloyd started, then stopped._

_All those times he said that stuff about the Desians, and Genis had asked that stuff about half-elves... he was such an idiot! He never realized his _

_friend was asking that because he was actually a half-elf. Did that mean...Genis was afraid of him? He was afraid to tell him what he really was _

_because he didn't want Lloyd to hate him. The teen snarled a bit. The...the idiot! He didn't care, he could never hate his friends- but why hadn't he told _

_them? Why did everyone know now? Could it be that Genis and Raine told them...because he wasn't there anymore? No, he shouldn't make _

_assumptions, but he couldn't stop the horrible feeling that he had been cheated out of something important to him._

"_Thanks every-"_

_Colette collapsed onto her knees, crying out in pain. Kratos stopped his son once more from moving from his hiding place as Genis instantly got his _

_sister to check on the blond._

_"She's running a fever, but what could be causing this much pain?"_

_The pink-haired girl, Presea, as Lloyd had been told, walked forward and told Raine to leave the situation to her. It was a faulty move however, seeing _

_as the pinkette then proceeded to swipe at her companions, backing them off so she could knock Colette unconscious with the blunt of her ax._

"_P- Presea!?" Genis cried._

_Out of nowhere a dragon swooped down and grabbed Colette, flying off to the side above its master, Rodyle._

_"Good work, Presea!" he cackled._

_The pinkette, however, was taken down by Corrine as Rodyle took to the air on one of his dragons above them, another one of them hovering with _

_Colette in its clutches. This, of course, led to the current situation..._

"Lloyd," Kratos hissed in a low hush, "keep control of yourself-"

The teen continued to struggle against his father, attempting to break free. That Rodyle bastard! How dare he take Colette like that! He wasn't

going to let him take her! He wasn't-!

"Lloyd-!" Kratos snapped.

Lloyd ejected his wings, knocking Kratos' arms back just enough for him to break loose and completely defy his father's wishes by shooting up

through the air towards Rodyle, swords drawn and his wings flaring out behind him.

"RODYLE YOU BASTARD!" he shouted.

The teenager took a swipe at the surprised Desian just as one of his little 'pets' attacked him from the side. Lloyd, good as he was with swords

and flying, was not used to airborne combat, thus took a hit to his arm a milisecond before Kratos flew up next to him and knocked the dragon

back.

Taking this as a sign to leave, Rodyle took off with the unconscious Colette as Lloyd attempted to fly after them, succeeding only in being

constricted in his father's arms as he thrashed in mid-air.

"Let me go! Let me go!" he shouted. "COLETTE!"

Kratos dragged Lloyd out of the air and onto the ground, where it was easier to wrestle with the boy without concern of dropping him at all.

Once on the ground Kratos dismissed his wings and attempted to get his son to calm down, the brunette continuing to thrash at a chance of

release. Of course, Lloyd had yet to realize that they had landed in the square...and his friends were now staring at him and the Seraph as if

they had three heads.

"Let me go, damn it! I-!"

"Lloyd!" Kratos snapped. "You-!"

"LLOYD!?"

It took the shocked voices of his companions to draw his attention to matters at hand. The brunette froze in mid-flail, jerking his head to the

side to stare at his companions staring back at him.

"..." Lloyd twitched, his mind drawing a blank.

"Put away your wings, Lloyd, before someone sees," Kratos said with a small sigh.

The teen did as he was told as his father released him, staring back at his friends before turning his head away, forcing a huff as he crossed his

arms and tried to act agitated. He was supposed to act like a Cruxis angel, he was supposed to act like he didn't care about them, but...

"_I know, I know! You don't have to tell me!"_

"_Apparently, I do," Kratos said, "your emotions often get the better of you, you must be sure to control them."_

_"W- We're not even sure we'll run into them, anyway!" he said. "So-!"_

_Kratos put a hand on Lloyd's shoulder, causing the boy to look up at him._

"_I know it's hard," he stated, his eyes misted somewhat, "but no matter what happens, you have to act how I made you act on the mountain, do you _

_understand?"_

_Lloyd huffed, crossing his arms and turning to the side._

"_...Lloyd-"_

"_I know, I know..." he said again, this time without the feeling, "...I understand..."_

"W...What are you doing here?!" Genis demanded, his eyes narrowed in a glare.

"Yes, what _are _you doing here?" Raine asked, her eyes narrowed as well. "And isn't Rodyle a Desian? One of your subordinates? Why then,

would you be attacking him like that, if I may ask?"

Lloyd flinched, realizing he had blown their cover on multiple levels. W...What was he supposed to do?! Just sit back and watch as Colette got

taken away?! Wait, no, he needed a lie....he needed-

"Rodyle has been ignoring our orders as of late," Kratos explained coldly, "we do not know why he has taken the chosen, if that is what you

are planning on asking."

Genis went to say something and then gritted his teeth together, growling to himself as he turned toward the unresponsive Presea, the girl's

blank green eyes gaping out into empty space.

"Look, we don't have time for you guys right now!" he said. "So...so just go away!"

Lloyd looked at his friend's back and was tempted to say something, anything, but closed his jaw tightly in order to stop himself from doing

anything else that might cause trouble. He looked around and caught the eyes of the rest of the group, Raine's sad gaze, Sheena's scoffing

and hurt glare, the looks of suspicion from Zelos and the new blue-head they called 'Regal'...

"...I-" Lloyd started.

Sheena walked up and smacked Lloyd across the face. Kratos flinched a bit as Lloyd simply stared back at the ninja, her hazel eyes tearing up

as she continued to lock him in a death-glare.

"You-! You have the nerve to-! To-! ARGH!" she shouted. "I HATE you-!!"

"Sheena," Raine said, "Genis is right, we have something else to take care of."

"The girl, I assume?" Kratos said, glancing at Presea.

"It's none of your business!" Genis snapped at him, his voice cracking a bit out of suppressed emotions. "You-!..."

The half-elf caught sight of Lloyd's face again and the older male attempted to keep his expression blank, noticing how his best friend's eyes

watered a second before he cleared them with a sharp shake of his head. Genis reached into his pack and pulled something out, a metal of

some kind. Lloyd briefly wondered what it was before his friend marched up to him and held it out, stunning everyone present, though it was

visible more than others on some.

"This is inhibitor ore," Genis said sternly, "we need someone to make a key-crest for Presea."

Lloyd's eyes widened briefly before he forced a rude scoff and crossed his arms.

"And why the hell do you think I'd help you with that?"

"We don't have a choice, that's why!" Genis snapped.

"Why should I-?"

"Because Colette still believes in you!!"

Kratos said nothing as Lloyd visibly twitched. The next second he snarled down at Genis in a fake rage.

"What the hell are you talking about?! There's no way I'm going to-"

"I'm not blind, Lloyd!" Genis snapped. "I saw you just then! You tried to save Colette!"

"I- I tried to retrieve the Chosen-"

"BULL!" Genis snarled. "I...I don't know what you're doing, and I...I don't know what's happened to you, but you just tried to save Colette! On

Mt. Fooji, she...she said something was wrong with you!"

Kratos and Lloyd both hid a twitch. When Lloyd had seized control back then, he had tried to comfort Colette, had tried to tell her, had tried to

keep her from falling into despair...she had noticed, then, huh? She had noticed that something was wrong.

"I...I want to believe her..." Genis said weakly, his tone losing some of its strength as his softer emotions took hold, "I want to believe

you're...still you, Lloyd. I don't know what you're doing, but I-"

"Sh- Shut up!" Lloyd snapped, backing away from him. "You're just- just being a stupid, little kid! Don't you understand?! I'm with CRUXIS, I'm

your ENEMY, there is no way in hell I'm gonna-!"

Genis whipped out his kendama.

"Then we'll force you to make it!" he snapped, his voice cracking again.

"Genis-!" Raine started.

"Oh please, you can't beat us!" Lloyd snapped. "Kratos by himself took on the four of us! You-"

"Lloyd," Kratos spoke up, "make the key-crest."

"I-...what?!" he gasped slightly, looking at his father.

"..." the Seraph's eyes narrowed, yet softened, "go ahead and do it."

"But...but I don't understand-" Lloyd started.

"You don't have to, now do it," he said simply.

Everyone present stared at Kratos, unsure if they were completely sane, but Lloyd managed to nod and slowly look back at Genis, who had

just as slowly got out of an offensive stance and held out the inhibitor ore once again. Lloyd took it in silence, his eyes never leaving his

friends'.

"I can't make a real key-crest, you know," he said, "but I'll do the best I can."

"I guess that'll work, then," Genis snorted, still glaring at him.

"You could stand being a little more grateful," Lloyd said coldly.

Genis went to say something when his sister placed a hand on his shoulder, much like Kratos had done for Lloyd earlier that day. She shook

her head down at her brother, the boy going to protest before nodding in acceptance.

"How long will it take you to make it?" Genis asked, still glaring.

"...About ten minutes," Lloyd said, looking down at it.

"Well, let's not wait around in the middle of town," Raine said, "we'll go down to Presea's house, it's the large one down the path there. You

two can meet us there when you're finished."

"What? But what if they run off with the ore-?" Zelos said.

"Either he makes it or it's useless anyway," Raine pointed out, "we have nothing to lose."

"I am certain we can obtain more, if necessary," Regal said with a sigh.

Lloyd suddenly felt very, very alone, even moreso than he had before. He was there, standing with them, but they were completely ignoring

him...he thought maybe he preferred them yelling. At least then they were acknowledging him. Now, as they turned away and started off

toward the meeting place, he felt more and more out of place than he ever had in his life. Genis stopped at the back of the group when the

others went ahead, slowly looking back at Lloyd.

"...You can still do the right thing, Lloyd," he said softly.

The teen's brown eyes widened as the half-elf boy turned his back on him and walked off, his head down and sniffles, just barely audible even

with angelic hearing, started from him even though he attempted to hide it. Lloyd and Kratos watched after them in silence as Lloyd's fingers

tightened over the ore, closing his eyes before opening them again, a spark of determination in his irises.

"Yeah...and I will," he muttered, "I'm sorry, Genis."

"He couldn't hear that, you know," Kratos said simply.

"I know, you would've gotten mad at me if he had," Lloyd said to his father.

"True," he nodded, his eyes closed.

"Okay then," Lloyd sighed, "let me get working on this."

They went into the lobby of the inn and Kratos waited patiently as his son worked the ore, his interest mildly caught in the boy's finger-work.

He truly was an adept craftsman, even regardless of his upbringing by the dwarf. The Seraph suppressed a smile, seeing as he didn't quite find

himself unable to be proud of anything the boy was good at.

"...Hey D- Kr-..." Lloyd took a deep breath, "Kratos?"

Kratos blinked a moment, curious as to what his son wanted.

"Yes, what is it?"

The teen fidgeted a moment, his eyes still on his work.

"Why are you letting me make the key-crest?" he said.

"I can tell Yggdrasill that it would aid one of the Chosen's companions," he stated coolly, "and by doing so it would keep her safe. He doesn't

want her dead, you know, she's useless to him that way. That and I can simply say we chose not to cause a scene, two angels fighting in the

middle of town with that group would cause unnecessary attention."

"It's not like we would've fought with our wings out-" Lloyd said.

"Even still, it would have drawn attention to us and their group, possibly endangering her."

"Well- Wait, yeah! About Colette! You're sure Rodyle won't hurt her, right-?"

"If I wasn't, I would've made sure I went after him," he stated simply, "dragging you along with me, if I had to."

"Then why did you stop me!?" Lloyd snapped.

Kratos glared, causing the boy to flinch a bit and slowly lose the color in his face.

"You would have gotten hurt," he said simply, "I told you, without a clear head you will only harm yourself."

The teen glared at his father again before sighing and looking back at the ore.

"Okay, fine, but-"

"I'm certain the first thing your friends will do is go after her," Kratos stated, "and we're not through with Rodyle yet either. Though that

doesn't mean you can run after her, either..."

"Why n-?!"

"Think about it, Lloyd," Kratos said curtly, "if we take her, where will she end up? Derris-Kharlan. Even if you try to hide her or let her go or

something akin to that, Yggdrasill would find out about it one way or another. Then we'd all be in danger. It's best if your friends save her."

Lloyd frowned deeply, his eyes misted as he mulled over his father's words and then nodded with a sigh.

"Okay, fine, but she will be okay, right?" he asked.

Kratos nodded.

"I assure you, she will," he stated.

"..All right," Lloyd said with a brief nod, "thanks."

He continued working in silence, glancing up at his father every few seconds as the Seraph sat there in silence. Lloyd wasn't comfortable with

that, with the silence, he didn't like it. Before the tower he always had his friends around, and even after that his father's voice had been there

with him most of the time- whether spiritually or physically. Anxious to both break the silence and distract himself from thinking of his friends, he

spoke.

"Did you ever have any hobbies when you were my age?"

Kratos tilted his head to the side, almost amused. Why was he asking that all of a sudden?

"I- I mean, it's just- you've never really told me about the kind of stuff you like and don't like and stuff," the teen stammered, a light blush

coming onto his cheeks as he worked the ore, "I know you don't like tomatoes, but that's kinda it."

The Seraph said nothing for a good few moments before he answered.

"I quite enjoyed drawing at one time, truth be told," he stated.

"Really?" Lloyd blurted, his gaze instantly on his father once more.

"Is that so difficult to believe?" he asked stiffly.

"N- No, you just don't look like an artist, I guess," Lloyd chuckled a bit.

"Hmph," he snorted.

It was silent again while Lloyd finished the make-shift key-crest, obviously not succeeding in his attempt to bring about conversation. Once his

task was completed, they headed off toward Presea's house, where the group had been waiting for them. It took everything Lloyd had to walk

back to them, still as their enemy, and having to act like he could care less about their lives.

"Are you done?" Genis asked coldly, his arms folded over his chest.

Lloyd frowned and held out the key-crest.

"Here, this should return her to normal," he said.

Genis took the key-crest without a word, marching over to Presea and placing it on the girl. In an instant, her clouded eyes came into focus, an

expression of confusion playing on her face.

"Huh?" she said.

"Presea? Are you all right?" Genis asked.

"What...what have I been doing?" she said, looking around frantically. "W- Where's my daddy?!"

The half-elf nervously glanced over at the house behind them before the pinkette ran inside, the rest of the group following her. Lloyd went

after them on instinct, his father giving a small sigh before doing likewise. Inside, Lloyd did his best not to gasp at the corpse in her house. Her

dad? That was her dad? Why was he in here like-? Well, Presea had been zoned out like Colette had been, right? So it could make sense that

she didn't know what had happened- Oh no. That poor girl...imagine having to wake up and find out your father was- He snuck a quick glance

at Kratos.

"We'll...we'll bury him," Genis said to her as she fought back more cries, "I'm...I'm sorry, Presea."

She said nothing, nodding faintly. Genis looked at the corpse and hesitated a minute, unsure of how he should proceed when someone made

the decision for him. Lloyd walked forward and pulled the blanket up over the head, tucking the material under the body to make a sort of

cocoon.

"W- What are you-?" Genis stammered.

"W- What does it look like?!" Lloyd snapped at him. "I'm moving the body! Now find some shovels so we- so we can..."

The brunette's face fell as he looked down at the covered form, a forlorn feeling in his chest.

"Look, he deserves a proper burial, at least," he said softly.

He caught Kratos' disapproving look, and he knew that he wasn't exactly holding up on his faulty 'act'...but so what? No one would know about

this, no one except the people in this room. Kratos wasn't going to say anything, and he couldn't just stand there, he could never just do

nothing...even if that did mean he'd have to face consequences. He'd done nothing before, at the Ranch, he had done nothing and had yet to

forgive himself. So he was going to do something this time, he wasn't going to be afraid of what would happen. Genis looked at him a bit, as if

thinking whether to allow it, then nodded.

"Yeah," he said, "...th- let's do this."

Within the hour the burial was completed and Presea stood before her father's grave, taking a deep breath before turning to look at the rest of

them.

"Thank you for assisting me with my daddy's burial," she said, "I...I've been a great burden on you all."

"You remember?" Raine asked.

She nodded, her pigtails bouncing as she did so.

"Yes, mostly," she said.

"Why did you have an exsphere like that on you?" Genis asked.

Lloyd and Kratos stood off to the side as the pinkette revealed the origins of her exsphere, Lloyd listening on with keen interest. She was a

research subject. Just like his mom...how could people DO that to other people? He winced, remembering Forcystus' words: 'The people you

now command'. Guilt washed over him briefly before he realized Presea had said something to him.

"You," she said, "you're...Lloyd, right?"

"Wha-? Uh- Yes," he said stiffly.

"The traitors," she said simply, "you and Kratos."

The teen said nothing and focused all his willpower in order to keep his face blank.

"You helped..." she trailed, confused, "...why?"

Lloyd went to say something and then caught himself, crossing his arms and turning from them in a huff.

"If you didn't want my help, you could've just told me so," he spat.

"At any rate, if you wish to find the Chosen I'd suggest finding the rheairds and heading for the eastern skies," Kratos explained to them, "the

Chosen is useless as she is, however-"

"Like we care! We're going to save her!" Genis said, glaring at the angels.

Kratos tilted his head to the side in amusement, Lloyd managing to hide a smile.

"Become quite bold, haven't you?" Kratos asked simply.

Genis glared at him a bit before his eyes widened.

"Wait- how did you know about the rheairds?"

Lloyd had heard from Yuan how they had had rheairds, and that they had lost them. The Seraph hadn't told him much more besides that, being

vague as usual, but he knew his friends were looking for them.

"Lloyd, we're leaving," Kratos stated, turning toward the exit.

"What-? I mean- right," he nodded, following after him.

"W- Wait-! Lloyd-!"

Both Aurions stopped and Lloyd turned to look back at his friend for the last time for a long while.

"...Thank you," Genis said quietly, his face sad, yet still strong and independent looking.

"..." Lloyd turned to hide a smile, "just don't expect your enemy to help you again, got it?"

Then they left.

"...You didn't do that bad," Kratos told him, "better than I expected you would."

"Tch," Lloyd spat, "you owe me big for that."

The Seraph sighed and nodded softly.

"I know," he stated simply.

Then Lloyd remembered. The device in his pocket...he could use that to get in contact with Yuan, when he had the chance. If they needed the

rheairds to get Colette back, and Yuan had rhearids (he did, right? He was a Seraph, and he'd be the only one who could do this...), then the

man could lend some to his friends, right? It was worth a try asking, anyway, because Colette dying didn't seem like something Yuan wanted.

The half-elf was still an enigma to him, but he was certain that his motives had nothing to do with the 'Chosen'.

Besides, if anything happened to her because Yuan wouldn't cooperate, or tried to have her hurt or whatever, he could simply rat him out to

Yggdrasill. Blackmail wasn't something he wanted to resort to, but if he had to to keep his friends safe... He frowned. Yuan hadn't told him what

exactly it was he was up to, yet, but it was against Cruxis and he had been keeping him up to date on his friends. Yuan was his best bet at any

hopes of helping to take Cruxis down, short of managing to escape without his father getting killed... That settled it, then. As soon as he got a

chance he'd ask Yuan about the rheairds.

"Lloyd? Are you all right?" Kratos asked.

"Huh-? Oh, yeah," he nodded, "just thinking."

Kratos said nothing and turned from him, shuffling for his wingpack to take out the rheairds. Lloyd felt bad to be keeping what he was doing

from Kratos, but...he had said that he trusted Lloyd to do what he had to, and that he wouldn't stop him... Was this fine, then? That he was

deceiving his father? He groaned.

"Are you all right?" Kratos asked, glancing at him.

"Fine," Lloyd sighed, "but I got one heck of a headache."

**OMJESUS! I ACTUALLY HAVE THE PLOT MOVING AGAIN! :D YAY TAKING DOWN WRITER'S BLOCK! n.n**

**Colette: Om...?**

**Me: ...I blame my friend, she got me saying it. (You know who you are...)**

**Colette: Oh...okay... Freakyanimegal owns nothing. n.n' **


	12. Chapter 12

**Ugh, first that glitch with the site and then I was so busy I couldn't post...-_-' What a hassle...oh well, at least I'm back. n.n'**

**Colette: Freakyanimegal owns nothing. n.n'**

Lloyd left Yggdrasill's throne room with his father, his fists clenched at his sides as he growled down at the floor. They had just given their

report on what had happened and it took everything in him to keep his head bowed and not start shouting at the feminine looking

megalomaniac for being the biggest ass on either of the two worlds and Derris-Kharlan. Kratos handled most of the talking, for which he was

grateful, but there was that one instance where he had to answer himself and that still irked him...

"_I see..." the half-elf stated, crossing his arms, "very well then. ...Lloyd."_

_He flinched and looked up at him, doing his best not to do anything that would cause trouble._

"_Y- Yes, L...ord Yggdrasill...?" he managed to force, the word almost leaving a bad taste in his mouth._

"_Why, exactly, did you openly go after Rodyle after he took the chosen?"_

_He saw the cold green eyes narrow on him and felt his blood run cold. Whatever he said could end both he and his father in hot water. It wasn't that _

_hard to think of a lie, but saying it sincerely was going to be the hard point. He hesitated just a second before speaking as calmly as he could._

"_Because the chosen is vital to y- our, plans, Lord Yggdrasill," he stated, "and I could not allow that to be endangered because of a traitor and his _

_insane goals."_

_Whew, he managed to bull it pretty good...and he caught that 'your/our' thing, that had to be a plus._

"_Very well, you may leave," he stated, turning from them._

Even now he felt as if he had eaten a three-day-old egg salad, not only because of what he had been forced to do, but because Kratos was

still in there. He looked over his shoulder back at the wide doors that lead to the room and frowned to himself, hoping that his father would be

okay. Then, he had been doing this for years, right? He should be fine then, right? Well, hanging around here wouldn't help calm him down any,

he knew Kratos would come find him once they were done. Judging by the way things were going though, it seemed like it would be a while, so

maybe he should go train some more... All right, he'd go try to get a better hand on that 'angel feathers' spell. He had done it once, so he was

sure he'd figure out how to do it whenever he dang well felt like now. Once at the training field he spread his wings and relaxed a bit as he did

so, flapping them once. Okay, he could do this if he just kept trying... Lloyd bit his lip a bit and tried to remember how he did it the first time:

Yuan attacked him and he drew his swords to block, then he just...did it...did he blurt out the chant before he did that? It had happened so

fast, he couldn't remember it.

"Let's see...Grant us thy blessing- wait, was that it?" he frowned. "Or was that for the next one? Wait, no, that's the one for Colette's 'Holy

Song' one...crap, I can't remember it."

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. How could he have forgotten it? He'd only practiced it a billion times...but then, he'd been learning

all of the chants, and they all sounded about the same anyway. Maybe he should just wing it. ...As ironic as the phrase was.

"Okay..." he took a deep breath, "...ANGEL FEATHERS!"

Crap. Nothing. Okay, he had to take in the mana, focus, and then just do it. All really fast...

"_Geez, Genis, could you take any longer with those spells?" he had sighed._

_The half-elf scoffed, crossing his arms to mask his hurt. _

"_It's not easy to cast spells, Lloyd! It's not just saying stuff!"_

"_It can't be THAT hard," he had said, "so why does it take so long?"_

"_Lloyd, you just don't get it! Casting takes time and lots of hard work!"_

Lloyd's face fell as he sighed and shook his head, smiling sadly once he had done that action. Back then he had been so hard on his friend, and

now here he was trying to get the hang of spells, learning first hand that his friend really did have a difficult time doing it. Ironic, he would kill

for some advice from his friend right now, now that he could use magic. Then again...Genis had been amazing in that last fight, he dished out

magic in like- two, three seconds? He was having such a hard time just getting this one basic spell, and he was casting the next level with the

effort it took him to move his arm. Heh...his friend had gotten very good very fast, because he had to- or was it because he just wanted to?

Wanted to so he could get everyone on their feet. Lloyd pondered this a moment before taking a deep breath and stretching his hand out, his

face furrowed in determination. If his friend had had to do that- had wanted to do that- because of him, then he was going to have to make

sure he did the same thing he did. He owed it to him in a sense. This time, he was going to do it...

For his friends.

"ANGEL FEATHERS!!"

His eyes widened as blue-green feathers shot out from him, like a hoard of glowing arrows streaking through the air. After rushing out they

dispersed into the air, leaving no trace they had even existed...except for the expression of shock on Lloyd's face before he grinned.

"YES!" he said.

He did it! He finally did it! He tried it again the same exact way to make sure it hadn't been a fluke, then cheered again when he realized he

finally had the hang of it. GREAT! He couldn't wait to tell Kratos! Well, sure, it was the BEGINNER spell, and he had quite a few others to

learn...but he'd do it, if he just worked hard enough. So for a few minutes he practiced the spell, then his swordsmanship, and then began a

mixture of the two, dancing around with an imaginary enemy as he visualized swipes and blocked phantom blows. That was how his father

found him when he walked into the area, his head tilted to the side was he watched his son perfectly execute 'Angel Feathers' after a 'Heavy

Tiger Blade'.

"I see you finally got it," he stated.

Lloyd stopped and looked at Kratos, grinning as he wiped his forehead.

"Did you see?! I can finally use it!" he said.

Kratos fought a soft smile as he nodded.

"I see," he stated, "very well done."

Lloyd stopped and stared at his father, unable to quite identify what feeling it was that was bubbling up softly in him. Hearing those words

from that man, with that expression, it made him feel really...happy, well, it would anyway, but this was something a little more then if someone

else had said it. Vaguely he remembered feeling this when he had crafted his first accessory, showing it to the dwarf that raised him. Dirk

smiled and feathered his hair, and he hadn't been able to stop smiling. He jerked. So that was it...he was proud that...his father was proud of

him. Lloyd flushed a bit as he stared at Kratos; it was so strange how things had turned out...

"Lloyd? Are you all right?" he asked.

"H- Huh? Yeah," he nodded, smiling, "I just...thanks, Da...d."

"..." Kratos smiled softly.

"S- So, um," he dismissed his wings, and sheathed his swords, rubbing the back of his neck afterward, "what did Yggdrasill want to talk to you

about? I didn't cause any trouble for you, did I?"

Kratos shook his head.

"No, however, he wants us to...take care of, Rodyle," he stated coldly.

Lloyd's eyes widened briefly before they narrowed and he nodded.

"Okay...so, when are we going after him?"

"Not until he tells us to, I know you're anxious but we have to obey orders-"

"But-!"

Kratos held up his hand to silence the teen, his wine eyes locked on Lloyd's.

"I told you it would be best if your companions saved the Chosen, did I not? While Rodyle has her, we shouldn't go after him."

Lloyd swore and crossed his arms, annoyed.

"Fine, but you'll tell me the instant we're going, right?"

Kratos nodded.

"Until then, you are to stay on Welgaia, understood?"

"W- What?!" Lloyd flinched. "You mean- you're not going away again, are you?!"

The Seraph looked away, closing his eyes.

"Yes, though you haven't shown any signs since, I would still prefer it you spend as much time here as possible, just to be safe," Kratos stated

as he crossed his arms, "you understand, correct?"

"Look, I'm fine! It only happened once!"

"I'm sorry Lloyd, but I'm not going to change my mind," he said, shaking his head.

Lloyd went to protest and then settled for glaring at the man, his eyes narrowed.

"Fine," he pouted.

"We should head back into the city," Kratos stated, "come along, you need rest."

Deciding not to waste his energy protesting this time, the teen grudgingly followed along with him. So they were going off to kill Rodyle- wait,

Yuan said to tell him if anything came up with that. Oh, right! So as soon as he was alone he'd tell him, and then he'd ask about lending his

friends the rheairds while he was at it. They'd just gotten back into Welgaia when he spoke up.

"Hey, um...do you think I could just fly around for a while?" he asked Kratos.

"Hm?" the Seraph looked at him.

"Just for the heck of it? It makes me feel better," he said, not a complete lie...

"...Very well, just stay in the city," Kratos instructed, "and don't be off too long."

Lloyd grinned as he nodded, shooting off into the sky.

"Thanks! I'll be careful!" he said.

With that he flew off, leaving his father on the ground looking out at the glowing speck that was his son. Kratos sighed and then headed for

their quarters, silently praying Lloyd wouldn't get into any sort of trouble.

Lloyd flew off a ways before landing softly on the roof of a building in a rather desolate area, checking around for any traces of life- or angels-

that may notice him. As far as he could tell, he was alone. He dashed over to a large box type thing (ventilation exhaust, though he didn't know

that) and stood against the solid side, looking around before taking out the device. Right, so Yuan said to press the blue button- or was it the

red button? Well, it couldn't be that hard to-

"Now what do you think you're doing?"

Lloyd flinched and almost dropped the object when he heard the voice from his side. The teen whirled around and saw Yggdrasill floating there,

his green eyes narrowed dangerously on his face. Lloyd stammered and attempted to hide the communicator from view only for the Cruxis

leader to snatch it from him, holding the metal object tightly as he glared at Lloyd.

"Now, what's this?" he asked coldly, venom in his tone.

"That? That's-" he started.

"This, Lloyd, is a Renegade communication device," Yggdrasill stated, hissing as he spoke.

"What? I don't know what you're-"

"Don't try lying to me, Lloyd," he snapped, clutching it tightly, "we've confiscated these before, I know what they look like. What I want to

know, however, is how you got your hands on one of these..."

"I-"

The next second, the half-elf had grabbed Lloyd around the throat and slammed him up against the steel, the teen letting out a panicked choke

as he attempted to break free, panting for air.

"You little rat," Yggdrasill spat, "where did you get this?! Who gave it to you?!"

"I-! I just-!"

"Boy, if you value your life you better tell me who-"

"I don't know!" Lloyd lied, still attempting to break free. "They kept their face hidden and- and they said-"

"Said what?!" he demanded, bashing Lloyd's head against the wall. "Tell me, you rat!"

"Th- They said to contact them if I- if I-!"

"If you wanted to go against me," Yggdrasill finished, his eyes narrowed, "is that it?"

Lloyd stammered, attempting to think of a way out of this without doing something that would land him in even more trouble. There had to be

some way to get this under control! But he came up short and his 'boss' sneered, lifting Lloyd off the ground as he did so.

"Let me explain something to you, _human_," he spat, making Lloyd look him in the face, "you don't seem to understand this, despite how long

you've been here, allow me to clear it up."

He tightened his grip on the device and the item smashed into bits of glass and metal, causing Lloyd to gasp. With this the Cruxis leader jerked

Lloyd froward, boring his eyes down into the teen's.

"You, whether you like it or not, are one of us," he said in a harsh whisper, snarling, "do you understand that? You serve me, you do what I

say, and you do nothing to go against me, you don't even THINK of going against me, is that clear? If it wasn't for who your father was, I'd

punish you right now."

"Punish-?" Lloyd managed to scoff, though pained. "You'd kill me? I don't give a-"

"What? And lose a potential asset?" he shook his head, tsking. "No, dear Lloyd, not at all. I'd just take away the freedoms I've allowed you;

such as that key crest on your exsphere..."

Lloyd's eyes widened as his irises shot down to the stone on his left hand, horror welling up in his expression. His key-crest? But...but what

would happen without his key-crest? Wouldn't that just drain his mana, that would just make him useless to Yggdrasill, wouldn't it? Then why-?

"You do know what will happen if I do that, do you not?" Yggdrasill snorted, tilting his head to the side. "At this stage of your angelic

transformation, it would deny you of your soul."

He gasped, his brown irises seeming to quiver with the rest of his body at the thought.

"That's right, dear Lloyd, you'd be like all of the others," he said, "a little drone to do as I say, not even able to do anything of your own will.

You really don't understand how merciful I've been to you, brat, allowing you to keep that when it was such a danger to do so..."

Lloyd said nothing but continued to struggle, wanting nothing more than to be as far away from the half-elf as possible. The prospect of losing

his soul terrified him, he only experienced it once- briefly- and it still... It felt like he'd been asleep, like he'd been asleep and still walking, like he

was dead and just...existed. He barely remembered any of it, but it was a naseaous, hollowing, clouded feeling; like being so sick you didn't

even have the will to move.

"Now, are you going to be a good little boy and do as I say," Yggdrasill drawled, "or am I going to have to make sure you never give me any

trouble again?"

Lloyd glared back at him in defiance, wishing he could get away-

"Then, I could just do it to your father if you do it again-"

Without thinking, Lloyd extended his wings and shouted out Angel Feathers, the blond gasping a bit before snarling and deflecting the spell

with no effort whatsoever. Lloyd felt the color drain from his face as Yggdrasill growled at him, his green eyes aflame with rage.

"On the other hand, no," he snarled, his teeth visible as his lip curled up, "I think you need to learn a lesson personally."

With his other hand he grabbed Lloyd's exsphere. The teen let out a yelp and tried to move his hand but failed.

"Don't worry, I'll give your key-crest back in a few days, just to give you a taste of what it'll be like if you try that again..."

The teen continued to thrash and squirm, shouting at the top of his lungs. He fought with all his might to keep his exsphere from Yggdrasill's

grip and a spike of complete and total horror caused him to scream with all his being as the key-crest slipped from his skin and the stone itself

made contact. His scream came to a dead halt as his eyes widened and then relaxed, his irises glazed red as his body went limp. Satisfied,

Yggdrasill set the Ophan on his feet and smirked, crossing his arms as the teen stood there in silence.

"Now, Lloyd, tell me again," he said with a smugness that was almost platable on the air, "who is it you serve?"

Lloyd remained motionless and briefly glanced up at his leader, not responding.

"You serve me, Lord Yggdrasill," the half-elf stated, hand on his hip, "and you will follow my orders without question, understand?"

Lloyd looked at him through glazed eyes, his mind at a slow, crawling pace. This man was...Lord Yggdrasill...his leader, his loyalty was to this

man and...Cruxis, right? Something vague in him knew that he was supposed to obey this man, but something else, just as vague, was giving

him a feeling that something was...wrong. Wrong? What was wrong? He couldn't think...it was so hard to... Was he really?

"Well, Lloyd Aurion? Who do you serve?" Yggdrasill stated again, growing impatient.

Aurion? The name reminded him of feathers, wings, angels...so he was an angel? So he was... Yes, of course, what else could it be? It seemed

like it was obvious, that's what it was, that's what it had to be.

"You, Lord Yggdrasill," he bowed his head numbly.

"Good boy," Yggdrasill patted his shoulder, "now hurry on home, understood?"

"As you wish, milord," Lloyd stated lifelessly, flying off.

He heard Yggdrasill's low laugh of satisfaction as he flew off and had the smallest tinge that something was wrong, but he wasn't able to

construct any train of thought further than that.

**...Oh come on, did you really think I was just going to let him contact Yuan?**

**Colette: T.T You're...! You're so mean!!**

**Me: Don't make me say what I said on chapter three again. Anyway, review? n.n'**


	13. Chapter 13

**NOTE: Angels CAN think, they just can't feel. Colette said that she was aware of what was happening and even said that she was happy, **

**but wasn't able to express it. Therefore my interpretation as follows of what it is like in one of those states is simply my view based on **

**what Colette said, and that an angel in Welgaia actually WONDERED. (He said: 'Why are there humans here? I must inquire about this', **

**that is curiosity, people.) Just to clear that up before people beat me down with it...n.n'**

**Colette: Freakyanimegal owns nothing...(blink)**

**Me: (Looks at Naruto Manga) NO! NARUTO!!! I can't believe you did that...! T.T**

**Colette: Huh? O.o'**

He didn't understand.

He didn't understand why it was when he had returned home his father was uneasy, he didn't understand that when the spikey-haired male

noted his eyes and his expression he instantly demanded to know what had happened. He didn't understand that when he answered in his

lifeless voice that his father was stricken with horror in his eyes.

"Lloyd..." Kratos whispered, gaping at his son lightly in horror.

"Father? What is it?" he asked simply.

He felt no true concern, only a light confusion, a slight sense that made him believe something was wrong.

"Lloyd-" he choked, but caught himself, "Lloyd, stay here, all right? Don't move."

With that the Seraph tore off, leaving his son staring blankly after him. That was a simple enough order, there was no thought to that: not to

move. It was clear and it was direct, he obeyed orders. He stood there without moving, without thinking, barley even existing for a decent

period of time before he drew his attention to the door, Kratos walking in looking completely dispirited.

"Father, is something wrong?" he inquired simply.

"What-? Ah...no, nothing," he whispered softly, looking away from his son, "nothing at all."

Lloyd didn't ask any further. There was no meaning in asking further. The teen resumed staring blankly off into nothing, Kratos' heart-broken

expression simply flitting away from the boy's red eyes. The Seraph gazed sadly at his son, walking forward and gently running his fingers

through the boy's hair. Lloyd did nothing, which made Kratos' heart throb once more. He didn't even flinch, he didn't protest, he didn't become

frustrated- angry, embarrassed, he just stared...

"Lloyd..." he whispered, feeling like he might cry for the first time in fourteen years.

The man gently hugged Lloyd, the halfling still not responding as Kratos held him close to him.

"This is all my fault," he whispered, "I'm sorry...I should've watched you, I should've made sure you didn't do anything stupid..."

His efforts to convince Yggdrasill to return the key crest had been in vain, ending only with a promise that the crest would be returned in about

three or four days, a promise that did nothing to help his conscience. He couldn't leave, now, not with his son like this... Getting the materials

he needed would have to wait a few days, just a few more. If only he'd gotten Lloyd away from all of this in the first place, if only he had been

strong enough- been smart enough- to have avoided losing him in the first place.

He almost wished Lloyd was still yelling that he hated him.

* * *

Zelos Wilder wasn't proud of a lot of things he had done in his life.

Sure, he was notorious enough as it was for his philanderous ways, but that didn't bother him at all, that wasn't what he was regretful for.

Playing Cruxis, the Renegades and this group like fiddles? Sure, he felt a little guilty for that....at times. However, this was one of those 'at

times' that stung particularly hard. It was the middle of the night when he went out to meet with Pronyma, the Desian whom he had worked

with since he had joined up with Cruxis to transfer his status to his sister. The woman usually had a few grunts with her, those mindless angel

drones, and he expected that. He didn't expect, of course, for one of those drones to be the boy that had betrayed the group before he had

even joined.

"Chosen, you're late," Pronyma stated, crossing her arms.

"Well, sorry Lady Pronyma," he shrugged, "it was a rough night...but tell me, isn't that guy there Lloyd?"

"Yes," Kratos stated.

"Woah-!" Zelos jumped, gaping at Kratos, whom stood at the very back of the group and avoided eye contact. "Didn't see you there,

man...what's up with this? Usually only Pronyma and her grunts come."

"Special orders from Lord Yggdrasill," Pronyma stated, "it's Lord Lloyd's task, however, Lord Kratos was adamant that he come along for it. I

see you've met before, yes?"

"I have encountered the Chosen of Tethe'alla," Lloyd stated numbly.

"...Dude, what's wrong with him?" Zelos asked, frowning a bit. "He was a lot more...y'know, LIVELY when we saw him last... It's kinda

reminding me of what happened to Colette."

"Lord Lloyd is currently being punished," Pronyma stated, "that is why he has been denied of his soul."

"Uh-huh..." Zelos trailed, nodding slightly, "m'kay, but why is he here? What's his 'task'?"

"Simple," Pronyma stated, "he is to 'cut the head off the snake' as they say."

Kratos gritted his teeth together, clenching his fists at his sides in anger. He couldn't let this happen, but he had no way of preventing it...he

couldn't let Lloyd go through with his 'task' that was his punishment for going against Yggdrasill. Right now it wouldn't ail the teen, but when

he reclaimed his soul...

He had to do something...

"He is going to kill off your little 'Leader'," she smirked, tilting her head to the side, "so you will be sure not to be at your best fighting capacity

come tomorrow, correct?"

"The twerp?" Zelos' eyes widened. "You want to kill off the twerp? What for?"

"Why else? Without their leader they will become lost, at least for a time, in that chaos we wish for you to take the Chosen of Sylvarant,

understood?" she asked.

Zelos wasn't proud of a lot of things, and though he was annoyed by the twerp, he still couldn't find it that he could ever be okay with letting

the half-elf boy go to his death. And to have that 'Lloyd' guy do it...Cruxis really had it in for these guys, didn't they? Something was wrong with

this picture, anyway. Yuan had told him that Lloyd was working for them, but ended up looking like this, being sentenced to kill the kid that was

his best friend? And that Kratos guy...

"Right, right," he shrugged, "as you say, Lady Pronyma, whatever."

"Very well then," she nodded, "we'll be off."

Pronyma disappeared with her underlings, leaving Lloyd staring blankly into space and Kratos slowly coming up beside his son, glancing at him

before examining Zelos.

"Hey, angel-dude," Zelos said to the Seraph before he had a chance to speak, "I'm right in assuming that you're not exactly peachy-keen with

this whole idea, am I right? You care a bit too much for Lloyd there."

"What of it?" he snapped, coldly, his eyes narrowed on the red-head.

Zelos knew who Lloyd was, knew he was Kratos' kid, because Yuan had told him about it, had told him that one of their goals was to secure

Lloyd as blackmail if the event arose. He even knew why Lloyd had 'betrayed' his friends anyway, and he knew well enough to know Lloyd

probably wouldn't be going along with this if he was himself at the moment...and his dad cared too much to let it happen.

If Genis kicked the bucket and his friends all went to hell emotionally, so what, he had the Renegades and Cruxis to play against each other.

However...Sheena was a summoner, she was needed, especially if it turned out that was the way to save the worlds. Yuan'd have his head if

Sheena perished. That and maybe he did care whether she lived or not, just a smidgen, but hey, whatever.

"You just heard that I can't do anything," Zelos said, tilting his head to the side, "but maybe we can arrange it that this works out for all of us,

nay? Lloyd here has to attempt to kill his bud, but say if he tried and something else a little...unexpected, happened..."

Kratos examined Zelos keenly through narrowed eyes, hesitantly taking the bait.

"Go on..."

Zelos smirked.

"All right then, all you gotta do is make sure Lloyd doesn't try anything until I give the signal, m'kay?" he asked.

"Pray tell what are you planning, exactly?"

"I'm only gonna do this if you promise me something," Zelos said, serious as well.

"What is it you want?" Kratos hissed.

"Me? Well...we'll see, but what I want you to promise me here is that you'll remember that you owe me," he said, glaring at the Seraph, "that

whatever happens, as long as you manage to get Lloyd out of it, you owe me."

Kratos glared long and hard at the manipulative Chosen, feeling Lloyd's dead presence beside him. If this could really work out, then Yggdrasill

wouldn't punish Lloyd, Lloyd's friends could live, and the teen himself wouldn't have to wake back to reality with his friend's blood on his hands.

"I agree to your conditions," he stated coldly, "as long as no harm comes to Lloyd."

"Okay then, we have a deal," the Chosen said.

Zelos smirked and both men wondered for a minute if what they were doing was the right thing. It would benefit them both, for sure, but to

trust each other could have horrible consequences...

Still, it was their best option at the moment.

The next day Kratos and the lifeless Lloyd followed the group silently, watching from the shadows as they made their way into the depths of

the Earth Temple, on their way to make a pact with Gnome. They had gone half way through the cave when Lloyd spoke to his father in a soft

tone.

"When is it I attack?" he asked simply, not moving his eyes or head.

"When I tell you to," Kratos instructed, "keep quiet for now."

He wasn't sure what it was Zelos was planning, and if something went wrong he would keep Lloyd from danger and murder the man if need

be, but for now his only option was to wait and hope for the best. A few minutes later, Zelos gave the signal, a loud yawn and stretching with

his arms, uttering something about 'missing his hunnies'.

"Now," Kratos instructed.

Without a word or any sense of hesitation, Lloyd sprang from hiding and went straight for Genis' neck, the half-elf gasping in surprise and

horror as the angel who had been his friend came to end his life-

And then dropped to the floor, twitching as electricity coursed through his body.

Kratos swore under his breath and went to intervene, cursing the Chosen of Tethe'alla for going against his word. The Seraph almost leapt into

the scene instantly before stopping, his eyes widening as the Renegades piled out, Botta heading them and one of the grunts that had casted

the lightning on his son racing forward.

"W- What are you guys doing here?!" Genis demanded. "Why is Lloyd-!? What's wrong with-?!"

"We heard that there might be an attack so we came to warn you," Botta told Genis, "we wouldn't want any of you to fall victim, especially now

that it is we have need of your summoner."

What?

Kratos' eyes widened. The group was working with the Renegades-? Then that's what Zelos meant! The man was playing all of them...and had

made him promise so that if this worked, he would not reveal him for the traitor he was to Yggdrasill. Not that he had any intention of doing

something to aid the blond half-elf after what had happened to his son-

His son!

"But- but why is Lloyd-?!" Colette started.

She cut off with a yelp as Lloyd sprang up and locked blades with the nearest Renegade, his red eyes cold and dark as he simply pushed the

man from his way and looked at Genis, causing the boy to pale in horror.

"Die," Lloyd said simply, swiping in for Genis.

"Lloyd-?!"

Botta this time blocked the attack and Zelos turned to Kratos' hiding spot and glare, nodding his head briefly over to the fight going on

between the sub-commander and the Ophan. 'Go and get your son you idiot!' the face said. Kratos snorted in realization before jumping into

the scene and knocking Botta back, halting his son from any further motion after doing so.

"Kratos!" Botta snapped.

"Lloyd, stop," Kratos said to Lloyd, ignoring the Renegade.

"What?" Lloyd asked simply. "I was ordered-"

"The Renegades are here, Lloyd," he said simply, "if they call for reinforcements it will be trouble, so we must retreat."

"...Understood," Lloyd nodded simply, scaring his friends half to death.

They had seen him being a jerk to them, like he hated them, like he always had...but this scared them just as if not more so then that version

of Lloyd they had seen before. Genis stammered a bit before stepping forward.

"W- Wait! What the hell is going on!? What did you bastards do to Lloyd?!" he accused Kratos, pointing at the still brunette.

"I did nothing," Kratos said simply, "Lloyd, let's leave."

Lloyd nodded, following after Kratos.

"As you wish, Father," he said, racing after him.

And so they departed with Kratos for once grateful the Renegades existed, though remembering what Zelos had said again: You owe me.

Hmph...fine, he'd keep the man's multiple 'loyalties' secret, but he would have to explain to Yggdrasill that the Renegades stopped Lloyd from

completing his mission, and that would also tell the group was working with them...

As the Seraph mulled over that, however, the rest of the group tried to come to grips with what had just happened.

Though the biggest one right now was Lloyd calling Kratos 'father'.

"F- Father?!" Genis yelped, his blue eyes wide and shimmering. "Did-? Did Lloyd call him 'Father'?!"

"He did..." Raine trailed, glancing at Botta with narrowed eyes, "is this true? Is Kratos Lloyd's father?"

She had been skeptical as it was, when they tried to sneak into the Renegade base and ended up facing Yuan himself, with the leader of the

organization asking for them to JOIN them...or at least, form an alliance. Genis had instantly scoffed at the idea, asking why it was that they

should trust them, what reason they had that would possibly make them agree.

Then to their shock, Yuan had simply handed over the rheairds.

_"W- What the-? Why are you-?" Genis gasped, looking at Yuan._

"_You want to save your Chosen, don't you?" Yuan asked, tilting his head to the side. "You'll need those, then. Think of them as a symbol of my _

_sincerity; we both have the same goals, do we not?"_

"_You wish to free the world from Cruxis," Raine acknowledged, "however, you seemed quite intent on capturing Lloyd for some reason when we last _

_encountered, and you were not much of a gentleman when we refused to cooperate."_

_Yuan sighed, rubbing his forehead as he nodded in compliance._

"_True, I was rather..inhospitable," he stated, "however, as you know...Lloyd is no longer one of you."_

_Genis flinched before snapping at the Renegade, red in the face._

"_Sh- Shut up!" he snapped. "Lloyd-!_

_"He's with Cruxis, you all know that," Yuan said, his eyes narrowed, "thus I have no further reason to be pursuing you, however...you do have _

_something else that would be of value to us: Sheena."_

_"Me?" she asked._

"_Her summoning abilities will prove a great asset," he stated, closing his eyes, "and in return we can grant you assistance in anything else you may _

_need: supplies, information...the rheairds."_

"_You're...serious, aren't you?" Genis said, staring at the older half-elf._

_Yuan nodded. _

"_The enemy of my enemy is my friend, is it not?"_

Raine had been skeptical, and she still was. Why was it Yuan had come around to them so quickly? Then, it did make logical sense that they

should work together to achieve their goals...

Obviously they hadn't been informed of some things, however.

"Yes," Botta nodded with a brief sigh, "Lloyd is Kratos' child, which is why we attempted to kidnap him before. Lord Yuan desired to force Kratos

to cooperate with us in exchange for his son's safety...which is why once Lloyd was lost to Cruxis, we had little other option than to turn to

you. That and Lord Yuan...was influenced, to aid you."

"Influenced?" Genis snapped. "By who?"

"By Lloyd, of course," Botta stated, "once in Cruxis Lord Yuan came to Lloyd and convinced him to help us, though as you saw, he is currently

not in the condition to do that."

"Lloyd's working with you guys, too?!" Sheena gasped.

"He was going to," Botta stated, "however..."

"Lloyd's exsphere didn't have a key-crest," Presea observed.

"What?" Genis asked, looking at her.

"Before...when he assisted with Daddy's burial...he had a key-crest," she stated, "and just now he didn't..."

"So you're saying their friend must be suffering from the exsphere's parasitism just as you were?" Regal asked her.

She nodded briefly, her pigtails bobbing up and down with her.

"That's what I...guess," she said softly.

"So...he didn't really want to kill us just then, did he?" Genis asked hopefully.

"But he seemed to be in his right mind the last two times," Raine pointed out, "we can't be sure."

Genis shot his sister a brief glare before sighing, running his fingers through his silver hair.

"But...there has to be an explanation for that, too, right?" he asked. "I- I mean...if Kratos really is his father, and Kratos is in Cruxis...doesn't it

sound like something Lloyd would do? For all we know, that Yggdrasill guy could've blackmailed Lloyd to do that or he'd kill Kratos- in fact, I bet

that's just what happened!"

The half-elf's face lit up in delight as he snapped his fingers, a grin barely suppressed on his face.

"Yeah...yeah! That makes sense!" he said. "That first time he came- I betcha anything he only did that to protect Kratos! I mean, he was pissed

off at him like all of us were...but Lloyd's not the type to- he wouldn't just abandon his own father, y'know?!"

"But Genis," Raine said, glaring, "Kratos was with him in Ozette-"

"When he got mad and tried to save Colette!" the brother pointed out physically and figuratively.

"Yes, he did kind of..." Colette said, fidgeting with her fingers, "and on the mountain...I...I agree with Genis! That must be it! Lloyd's been doing

all of this because he doesn't want his father to get hurt!"

"He did help us with Presea back there..." Sheena mused, "so I guess it's not impossible..."

Raine sighed audibly shaking her silver locks as she rubbed her forehead.

"I understand you all want to believe in him, but we have to keep open to the possibility it's not that favorable," she said calmly, "jumping to

conclusions will not help us."

"Why are you so eager to give up on him, Raine?!" Genis demanded, stomping his foot on the ground.

"I'm not, I'm merely trying to be realistic, besides, even if all of that is true, it doesn't change anything," she said, crossing her arms over her

torso, "Lloyd's still in Cruxis, still not where we can do anything with him or for him."

Once again their faces fell before Genis managed to speak up again.

"It..I guess there isn't anything we can do right now," he admitted with a look of grave disappointment, "unless we see him again, the only

thing we can do to help is keep making the pacts."

"Do not worry for your friend," Botta said, "I am certain Lord Yuan will find a way to reclaim Lloyd's key-crest."

"...All right," Genis nodded, looking ahead with confidence once more, "we'll leave it to you. So please...take care of Lloyd."

Botta nodded.

"I shall pass on your message," he stated, "but for now be careful, Lloyd was sent to assassinate you, so it is quite likely that other attempts

will be made on your life."

"...I believe in him," Genis said sternly, "If he does come after us again I-"

His face fell at this, his new 'leader' facade falling short.

"I...don't know what I'll do, really," he stated, "if it comes down to fighting him, I'll do what I need to do, but..."

Raine put a hand on his shoulder, smiling softly in reassurance in an attempt to lift her brother's spirits.

"We'll do what we need to do," she said, "we're all right here with you, Genis, don't forget that."

He looked at her a minute before nodding and grinning.

"Y- Yeah, you're right, thanks...I- I shouldn't have overlooked that," he smiled sheepishly.

"Of course, Lloyd could still end up being our enemy," she pointed out.

Genis opened his mouth to protest.

"For now, however, I agree," she nodded with a sigh, "we should...hope for the best."

Genis grinned again.

**And thus the group puts a few things together...and this chapter was more based on Zelos, Kratos and Genis than anyone...O.o' Weird, but **

**I liked it all the same. I was a little iffy on the whole deal between Kratos and Zelos, but I figured they were both at their wits end, **

**so...nyeh. (shrugs)**

**Colette: Review if you want! n.n **


	14. Chapter 14

**Mmmegh...Me duele el estomago...T.T**

**Colette: Huh? O.o**

**Me: I don't feel good...-_-**

**Colette: Oh...I'm sorry. Freakyanimegal owns nothing.**

**Me: Pain...T.T....**

It was like a bad dream, a bad dream he couldn't wake up from no matter what he did. It was like he had a fever and horrible thoughts kept

stabbing at him as he rolled around trying to rest, trying desperately to escape from the pain while all his thrashing did was stress his body

more. Everything was a blur, a blur of shapes and voices and random stabs of incredible emotional pain he could not derive the source of. He

felt like he wanted to scream, or cry, or do both and then throw up, maybe. A weak voice in his head begged for it to stop, but it wouldn't stop.

Then suddenly his head cleared, his eyes opened wide and he took a sharp intake of breath, the world around him coming into focus once

more. He looked up at the wine-eyes of his father, the Seraph's auburn hair shifting as the man leaned forward a bit to look him in the eye,

examining him.

"Lloyd, are you all right?" he asked.

"D.." he shook his head, his thoughts still foggy, "Dad...? What, what ha-?"

Then he remembered.

"Oh my g-!" he yelped, staggering back from his father, his face pale and sweat breaking out on his brow. "I- I just- What happened?! Is Genis

okay?! Is everyone okay!? What did I do-!? What did I-!?"

"Lloyd, calm down-" Kratos started, trying to put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Don't tell me to calm down!!" Lloyd snapped, glaring. "You- you were there! Why didn't you stop me!? Why didn't-"

"Lloyd-"

You asshole! How could you let me do that?! How could you let me-?!"

"Lloyd!" Kratos snapped. "Genis is fine!"

"I-! ...W...What?" Lloyd stopped in mid shout, staring at his father.

"Genis is fine, so are all your friends," Kratos explained in a calmer tone, "the Renegades showed up before anything could happen and then I

made you leave. Do you remember now?"

The teen froze and then shook his head, bewilderment evident in his expression before he took a deep breath, attempting to clear his head so

he could remember everything that had happened. After a minute he sighed in relief, rubbing his forehead.

"Oh thank goodness..." he smiled softly, "so...so they're okay."

"Yes," Kratos nodded, somewhat relieved his son had calmed down.

"Good..." the boy smiled softly, "I-...wait..."

Lloyd frowned as he bit his lip, straining through his foggy memories.

"...That Zelos guy," he said finally, "you..."

"Keep quiet about that," Kratos said sternly, his eyes narrowed and cold, "understand?"

"Y- Yeah- wait, where are...?"

The surroundings became clear and recognizable again once his panic had cleared, the cold-looking interior of the den of their 'house' stirring

both a sense of familiarity and foreign uncertainty. Oh. Derris-Kharlan...back in Welgaia. He sighed and subconsciously moved his bangs out of

his face-

Huh?

Sure, his hair had been getting a little lengthy because he'd been too busy to bother trimming it, but it shouldn't have gotten to the point it

was this noticeable in just a few days.

"Dad?" he said slowly, threading the hairs out so he could see. "...I-"

"It's been a month," Kratos said with an tired, deadened sigh.

Lloyd's eyes widened in shock.

"A- a month?!" he yelped, staggering backwards in his shock. "I've- I've been like THAT for a-?!"

"Yes," Kratos nodded with a soft whisper, like he wanted someone to stab him to remove the guilt.

Lloyd shook a bit, gaping like an idiot in horror at his father. A month? He'd been like that for...a month? He desperately tried to search through

the blur that was his memory of that time, trying to come to a conclusion it had truly been such a long time. Nothing really stood out in his

memory, nothing aside from his failed attempt on Genis' life... Oh goddess, he had really-? He had really almost cut down his best friend? What

kind of monster was he? Slowly he sat down, staring blankly at the floor. How could he do that?

"Lloyd," Kratos spoke up, guessing at his thoughts, "it wasn't your fault."

"Of course it was my fault!" he snapped at him, snarling. "I- With my own hands I tried to-"

"You had no sense of self," Kratos stated, "you had no control of your actions, thus you are not at fault."

"But-"

Kratos cut him off by lightly placing his hand on Lloyd's head, gently ruffling his hair.

"It's not your fault," he said again sternly, yet a sense of gentleness invaded his words, "so do not blame yourself."

"..." Lloyd's eyelids closed slightly.

"Lloyd, I have to go somewhere for a few hours," Kratos said, his eyes serious again.

Lloyd went to protest but was cut off when his father continued.

"It is very important," he said, "so please, just stay here for a while. Don't leave. Understand?"

"But Dad-!"

"I will not have you end up like that again, are we clear?" Kratos said sternly, narrowing his eyes on him.

The teen wanted to protest but knew from his father's expression that it was no good. He was going to do what it was he wanted to do, and

he couldn't bear the thought of something else happening to him. Lloyd sighed and nodded in compliance, Kratos giving a slight, tiny smile of

relief before turning for the door to mask any trace of it.

"I'll be back soon, do not leave the house, all right?"

"Yeah yeah, okay, Dad," Lloyd sighed as he looked at his father.

Kratos looked back at him one last time before leaving, the teen groaning and plopping down on his back on the couch to look up at the ceiling.

A month wasn't that long, really, but when it was month you had been cheated of, had no memory of, it suddenly seemed like such a large gap.

He sifted his bangs out of his face and frowned. Had it really grown to that length? The last he could remember it was getting a little long, but a

month...sure had grown fast. Or maybe it didn't and it only seemed fast because it had passed the point it was noticeable and he just suddenly

woke up to it. It wasn't REALLY long, but it was starting to droop in his face and around his ears. He sighed and got to his feet, heading for the

bathroom. He might as well trim it a bit since he had nothing else to do for a while.

Entering the restroom he sifted around in a drawer for some scissors, finding a pair after a minute of searching and then turning to the mirror

to start trimming his bangs-

"..." he stopped, his eyes widening somewhat.

He'd never let his hair get this long before, and it did tend to grow a bit speedier than most, so he cut it often. Thing was, was it was now it

was quite enough to start giving him an appearance similar to his father. Not quite there yet, but it was plain to see if he just let it grow out he

would end up looking remarkably like the auburn-haired Seraph. Slowly he set the scissors down and examined his reflection, his mouth slightly

agape as he looked his face over.

"...Heh, figures," he smirked sadly, his eyes glinting somewhat with remorse.

Lightly he reached up and feathered his bangs a little, frowning. So he really was Kratos's son. Well, he knew that, but still, to actually see it on

his own face it made him seem more like... More like the son of a Cruxis Seraph than a farmboy raised by a dwarf, more like an angel instead of

a human...

He hated it.

"Dammit," he muttered, clutching the sink, "dammit."

He looked down and gritted his teeth, his eyes water as he let himself grip the side to the point his angelic strength began to form cracks in the

white material. Ever since he ended up in Cruxis, he'd been getting his old life taken from him a little at a time. First he lost his freedom, then he

lost his friends, then he lost his soul, and even now it seemed like he was beginning to lose his identity. Come to think of it, when was the last

time he had thought of himself as 'Irving'? He'd been called 'Young Lord Aurion', or 'Lloyd Aurion'; not a trace of 'Irving', of the name he had

lived under while he still considered himself a mostly normal child. He glanced back up at his reflection and his face fell, a weak look in his eyes.

Was the person he was looking at even Lloyd Irving? Maybe this was Lloyd Aurion, maybe the angel donned in white with droopy hair that

served the dictator of the worlds and attacked his own friends that he was looking at wasn't Lloyd Irving at all. Maybe...he was supposed to be

Lloyd Aurion, maybe he had to be Lloyd Aurion for now, maybe Lloyd Irving couldn't make it in Cruxis.

"...Hmph," he snorted, glaring at his reflection, "fine then."

He took the scissors and placed them back in the drawer, looking back up at the mirror with determination. He wasn't going to be Lloyd Irving

anymore, he wasn't going to be the Lloyd that had friends and openly defied Yggdrasill until he could actually do so again. For now, while he

was stuck here, while he had to go along with it all, he'd forget he was Lloyd Irving. He'd be Lloyd Aurion, he'd be Lloyd Aurion until the day he

was able to break free of Cruxis and beg his friend's forgiveness, and if they never did forgive him...he'd be Lloyd Aurion and help them how he

could until it killed him. He closed his eyes and somberly made that promise to himself, turning to leave the room in silence. Feh...well, he might

as well go up and water that plant, he hadn't done it for a while obviously- hopefully it was still alive.

* * *

"HYAH!!!"

Kratos met the blades and nimbly dodged, moving with liquid like grace as he maneuvered around his opponent, meeting his blade with his

own as they danced around each other in flurry of blades and feathers. The fighting grew more and more intense as his foe almost managed to

go in for the kill-

And then plowed back into the ground, letting out a shout as his wings blasted out from the impact, feathers flying around in a brief whirlwind

that had scatted them like seeds blown about by the wind.

"You've significantly improved," Kratos said simply, sheathing his sword.

"Grr..." Lloyd growled up at him, "I'll beat you one of these days..."

"I pray that day will come," Kratos said with a slight smile.

"Feh," he sighed, "we should probably be getting back to Welgaia, shouldn't we?"

Kratos nodded as the brunette man of twenty-five years that looked as if he could be his brother got to his feet and brushed himself off in

silence, his eyes cold and narrowed at the thought of returning to the angelic city.

"Lloyd-" Kratos started.

"There hasn't been any other sign of them?" he asked hopefully, looking at his father.

Eight years he'd been here, eight years he'd been attempting to find a way to help in the unification of the worlds while he'd had Yggdrasill

breathing down his neck. Ever since the 'incident' with the tree those years ago, the group he had called his friends had slowly seemed to

disappeared. They had somehow taken a mana fragment and healed Colette, and after that Yuan openly betrayed Yggdrasill before they all

simply evaporated off the face of the worlds. There had been no signs for years, nothing except brief leads that ultimately led nowhere...until

lately. There had been a report, just a report-

"Lloyd! Move!"

Lloyd and Kratos jumped aside just as a large sword seemingly comprised of lightning slammed into the ground, the spell of 'Indignation

Judgment' decimating what it hit as the two men took battle stances and turned toward the threat-

"..." Lloyd gasped.

A silver-haired man of twenty years stood on the far side of the barren landscape of Derris-Kharlan with his hand outstretched toward them

and his blue eyes narrowed in anger. His blue jacket and slacks blew back from the wind caused by the spell, his hair seeming to flap behind

him as he clutched a large dual-bladed weapon, a swallow, in his other hand.

"You missed," Yuan said from beside him.

"Tch, sorry 'Master'," the younger man snapped.

"I SUMMON THEE!" a woman with dark hair chanted from behind them. "EFREET!"

The summon spirit of fire appeared and let loose a wave of flame toward them, they barely dodged as a voice cried out. A blonde woman ran

up from behind the silver-head, tugging on his arm.

"Please, no! Don't do this-!" she cried.

"Stay out of this, Colette!" he shouted, pushing her back.

"Indeed," an aging blue-head man with greaves said, "this comes to an end now."

"Genis-! Regal-!!" she shouted.

"Mass Devastation!"

Lloyd meet the axe-blade of a young woman with her pink hair pulled back into a braid, her eyes narrowed and faint snarl on her face as she

found herself being forced back by the angel, her immense strength losing out for once in her life. From the other side came a red-haired man

that raced forward and tried to attack Kratos, the Seraph slashing him across the chest.

"Revitalize!"

A silver-haired woman close in appearance to the male had healed her companion from behind her brother, glaring ahead somberly.

"Please, stop this!" Colette begged, grabbing Genis' arm once again.

"Colette!" Lloyd gasped.

Genis smacked the blond upside the face, rushing forward with the large weapon towards Kratos who was attempting to fight off Zelos, Regal,

Sheena and Yuan as Lloyd attempted to get to him. He saw Genis zooming straight for his father, at his one open spot, and reacted before he

thought it through.

His first sword met the swallow and pushed it back, the second swinging and slicing through the half-elf's shoulder and torso like butter, blood

spurting into the air as his final expression of horrific shock burned into Lloyd's irises and into his mind. From there it was nothing but blood,

blood as each of his friends died by his blades and all that was left was the sobbing Colette.

"Lloyd! Please, please Lloyd-!"

Suddenly she wasn't Colette, suddenly she was that girl from the ranch begging at his feet, and just like the woman at the ranch he simply

pushed her away and let Cruxis have its way with her.

And all he did was brush the blood off of his face as he looked at Genis' dead eyes.

* * *

Lloyd sprang upright with a scream, shaking his head as he tried to do a mixture of screaming and sobbing, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"No! No no no no no!" he wailed, thrashing around as he clutched his head.

"Lloyd-!"

He continued to scream and thrash, trying to fight back the arms that tried to grasp him and comfort him, tried to cradle him into peace as he

flourished in panic. Kratos managed to put his hands on the boy's shoulders, trying to hold him still so he could talk some sense into the boy.

"Lloyd, it was a nightmare!" he said loudly, trying to get his attention. "Lloyd, it's all right. It's-"

Lloyd let out another wail of pain and fear as he finally broke into sobs, his head hanging limp as he cried loudly into his hands and his tears

slipped from his hands down his arms, making Kratos hesitate.

"Lloyd..." he said again, "Lloyd, it's all right. It was just a dream, Lloyd, everything's all right."

A dream...it had been a dream. All a horrible, horrible dream.

"A dream..." he choked.

"Yes, Lloyd," Kratos said, gently placing his arm around his shoulder, "you're...all right now."

A dream. A dream where he would be stuck with Cruxis until he was an adult and end up killing his own friends and letting them have Colette.

He couldn't let them have Colette. He couldn't let himself kill his friends. He couldn't be here until he was that old. That couldn't happen, he'd

definitely get out of here before he got anywhere near that old, right? He'd definitely get out, and he'd protect his friends, and Colette would

be able to live her own life.

Yet the image of Genis' dead blue eyes didn't leave his mind.

**....Okay, so maybe that one chapter WASN'T as angsty as I was going to make it.**

**Colette: O.O**

**Me: I'm sorry, I had the urge. I was feeling particularly evil.**

**Colette: Um...review...?**

**Me: n.n I like it how I began talking about bad dreams and ended it with one. n.n I dunno, it just kinda makes me happy. Lol. BTW, Sage, I **

**just gave you a CruLloyd idea, if you want. I haven't seen one with Lloyd in Cruxis as an adult...so I'll plant that seed. n.n If you did **

**something with it I'm sure it'd be...amusing. XD**


	15. Chapter 15

**This story is still fun, even though the initial rush is done...hm. n.n **

**Colette: Freakyanimegal owns nothing.**

**Me: Enjoy. n.n**

Lloyd swept his hair out of his face, frowning somewhat as he touched down on the roof with a single foot, folding in his wings as he landed

firmly on the ground and then looked out over the city. After falling asleep again after his...dream, he woke up to find his father had simply left

again. He was getting rather tired of his dad coming and going at a moment's notice, but it was also becoming something he expected; he just

wish he knew what it was the man was up to. That and he was still at a loss; he had some questions that needed answering: why a month?

Yggdrasill said it would only be a few days...and what had he been doing for this past month at any rate? Nothing seemed to stand out in his

memory aside from his attempted assassination of his friends, but he couldn't have just done nothing that whole time, could he? He bit his lip and

swept his hair out of his face again, subconsciously, seeing as he had been doing it all day. The Ophan sighed and walked to the edge of the roof

and looked out at the city he once believed was the capital of heaven, frowning deeply as he did so.

He was so bored of this place.

"Heh," he chuckled a bit, "at least that's still the same..."

It made him feel better knowing he still got bored easily, because lately it seemed like he was getting less and less like himself.

"I wonder what they're doing..." he trailed, looking up at the sky.

Sylvarant, right? So did that mean they were making pacts with Efreet and Sylph and Celsius and stuff? Oh wait...Celsius was in Tethe'alla, right?

Whatever. Thing was-

"Lord Lloyd."

He stiffened a bit at the title and tone of voice before turning to see Pronyma hovering behind him. Instantly he turned to face her, not wanting

her to be close enough to do anything that would- get him off guard- then he saw her cold expression and relaxed, as odd as it seemed.

"What is it?" he snapped, glaring as he straightened.

"Lord Yggdrasill has an assignment for you," she stated simply.

Before Lloyd could say anything she finished her statement with the task itself.

"You are to kill Rodyle," she stated, "you have been to the Island Ranch, correct?"

"What?" Lloyd said, somewhat surprised. "You mean he is a traitor after all?"

"Correct," she nodded, "Lord Yggdrasill is busy at the moment and wants you to go to the ranch and destroy Rodyle for his treachery. Lord Kratos

should be heading there at this momentas well."

"Dad's going there?" he asked, instantly much more interested.

"Yes, yes," she said with a slight sigh, rolling her eyes somewhat, "now please, hurry and complete your task, Lord Lloyd."

With that she disappeared in a brief whirl of mana, leaving Lloyd both excited and confused. For one, he was grateful beyond reason to get out

and see his father. On the other hand, it seemed kind of weird that she was trusting him to just leave. What if he made a run for it? It just

seemed like it was too easy...but he didn't really want to run for it. After all, killing Rodyle was on his agenda anyway and he still had nothing

suitable to bring back to his friends in return for what he put them through. Lloyd bit his lip and then shook his head, extending his

wings and heading for the transporter with a slight smirk on his face.

Rodyle was going to get his.

* * *

It was only when he arrived that he realized he had forgotten something: Yuan had told him that they needed Rodyle alive for a while. Crap, did

that mean if he did it now then it would be helping Cruxis more than the Renegades? Lloyd swore loudly and rubbed his forehead, trying to think

the situation through when he noted with his advanced senses the oncoming rheairds in the distance. His brown eyes widened as he saw his

friends upon them and a few Renegades flying alongside them. He swore again before dashing off and hiding behind some large boulders,

keeping his back to one as he glanced off its side at the landing group through the gap in between the huge rocks. They were here!? Dammit!

Why!? And why were the Renegades-?

"We will head in and make the necessary modifications," Botta explained, "the rest of you head up to take out Rodyle."

Oh. ...Well, that cleared that up. Kill him it was- wait! They were going to-!?

"All right, judging on how the other ranches were, Rodyle should probably be in the furthest room in, the top floor," Genis said as he looked at the

ranch entrance, "come on, let's go!"

"Oh, and one more thing," Botta said, "we understand you've destroyed every ranch you have been to. We need this one, so if it is at all in your

control do not blow this one up."

Lloyd smirked a bit as the Renegades left and Sheena smirked at Raine with a hand on her hip.

"Hear that, Raine?" she asked.

"It's not like I destroy them for fun you know," the woman scoffed, crossing her ams over her torso.

The hidden teen barely suppressed a laugh and settled for a wide grin at the thought instead. Heh, good old Professor. He watched them as they

headed inside and smiled sadly, immense sorrow and longing in his expression. Guys...he wanted so much just to be with them again, not

watching from the sidelines. He sighed briefly before stepping out when they were out of sight, looking at the entrance with disdain followed by

determination.

"All right...let's do this," he said, racing inside.

The top floor, there was an elevator in here somewhere, right? So-

"Young Lord Aurion?"

Oh yeah...the Desians didn't know he was here to kill their leader, now did they? Lloyd turned and looked at a squad of a few Desians, the half-

elves looking at him with curiosity.

"Your father just went by here," one said with a salute, "he took the passage down to your left, sir."

"I believe he was going to speak to Lord Rodyle," said another, saluting as well, "the elevator guard should take you right to him, sir."

It was strange how last time they had given him such a fuss about just being there, and now- he shook it off. Right now he had other things to

think about, like catching up with his father.

"Thank you," he nodded as he hurried past them.

"At your service, Lord Aurion!"

Aurion again...

"Okay, elevator," he looked around, noting some Desians looking at him with interest, "...there."

Off to his right was a large wall made of the same material as was the rest of the ranch, the identifying factor here being the large doors that was

being guarded and the circular bulge behind said door that most likely indicated an elevator shaft. The Desians were more than happy to grant

him access and program it to take him to the top, something he found ironic on many levels, but he didn't question it. Once he arrived at the

highest point he could go he walked out and found what appeared to be a maze of lasers, Kratos standing before them with his back to him.

"Dad!"

Kratos turned and looked at Lloyd, his expression slightly surprised before stoic once more.

"Lloyd," he stated, "good, I was afraid I had gotten here after you."

"What is that?" Lloyd asked, walking up to the intricate web of red lines.

"Another 'security' device Rodyle implanted," Kratos snorted, putting a hand on his hip, "this one is proving to be somewhat of a pain in the neck."

"It won't let us through?" Lloyd wondered, confused. "That's weird, I mean, all the Desians were pretty much ushering me in."

"This is controlled by the main room in which Rodyle is located," Kratos stated, "so I would assume he is the only one that can deactivate it."

"So..." the teen looked out at the humming red bars, looking at the extremely tight spots between them, "how do we get past?"

"..." Kratos stepped forward. "Let me attempt something."

Kratos drew his sword and Lloyd gasped. The Seraph noted his child's expression mildly before looking at the weapon and then back at him with

a slight smirk of some emotion he couldn't quite identify.

"Ah yes...this is your first time seeing Flamberge, am I correct?" he asked.

"What is it made of?" Lloyd stared, leaning in to look at it. "How it glows like that..."

"I'd be happy to explain it later, for now, however..."

Kratos turned his attention back to the lights and examined them a brief moment, scanning the entire area with meticulous care for a few minutes

as Lloyd fidgeted by his side. He wanted to ask just what it was his father was doing, but at the same time he didn't want to interrupt, so he

managed to keep quiet unti-

"W- Woah-!"

Kratos hurled Flamberge like it was a throwing knife, the blade flying as straight as an arrow before hitting something in the maze that made

loud crunching sounds followed by hissesand an explosion. Lloyd brought up his arms as a gust of air blew by with some debris as Kratos stood

there and the wind ruffled his spiky hair. The nest of lights was gone and all that remained was a clear room and a round machine in the center

sparking as a sword stuck through it.

"Hmph," Kratos smirked, walking forward, "problem solved."

"H- How did you-!?" Lloyd stared, racing after the man as he calmly walked to retrieve his sword.

"You pick up a few things at my age," he smirked softly as he sheathed the blade, "come, we must press ahead."

"How did you even know that was there?" Lloyd asked. "I didn't see it..."

"As I said, at my age you pick up a few things," he stated curtly before walking off.

"Well geez, sorry," the teen huffed, following his father.

"It's quite-..." Kratos drew his sword again.

"What is-? Oh damn-"

Lloyd drew his swords and jumped back as a large dragon descended from the ceiling, screeching in their faces as it rightened and flapped its

vestigial wings at its head, the serpentine body twisting around the room as it eyed what looked to it like its next meal.

"What a nuisance," Kratos spat, "...Lloyd."

"Y- Yeah-?"

"Go on ahead, I can take care of this one," he stated as he took a stance, "but don't attack until I get there, understood?"

"What?! Why can't I just fight this with yo-?"

The dragon roared again and let out a pillar of wind, like most would flame, from its mouth, shredding the flooring it hit into shrapnel as the two

swordsmen used guardian to protect themselves. Lloyd looked at the floor, then at the dragon before nodding weakly.

"Uh...okay Dad, but are you sure-?"

"NOW," Kratos glared.

Lloyd flinched a bit before running off as the beast swiped for his father, making a straight-shot for the door and exiting upon reaching it only

when his father shouted the command one more time. Lloyd closed the door and ran off down the hallway, instantly feeling guilty. He should've

stayed...but then, it wasn't like that thing could kill his father anyway. His father was a Seraph of Cruxis and he sure as hell wouldn't have that

position if he could lose to a monster. Still...he hesitated a moment more before his newly adept ears alerted him to something ahead.

Rodyle; and by the sounds of it...Colette?

"..."

He dashed forward as fast as he possibly could, the trailings of his shirt whipping behind him and his hair flapping back around his face as the air

blew past him. The room became apparent as he ran into the control room, watching just as Rodyle equipped a crystal and mutated into a large

hideous green creature that appeared to be partially made of mechanical gear.

"Lloyd?!"

He glanced to the side at Genis and the group as they stared at him, Lloyd looking at them briefly before turning his attention on the monstrosity

that was Rodyle as it headed right for his friends-

"Pay attention you idiots!!" he snapped, racing in with his swords.

In what seemed like an instant Lloyd stood in front of them with his sword holding back the blade on Rodyle's arm, Colette yelping behind him as

Genis stepped froward in front of her so he was between the Chosen and the Cruxis Angel. The half-elf tried to stammer something when Lloyd

snorted.

"Are you going to fight or what?!" he snapped, pushing Rodyle back with his inhuman strength.

Deciding to save the questions for later, the group joined in the fight against Rodyle, all of them taking their various roles against the new threat.

Lloyd slashed at the monster with fluid grace he hadn't realized he had, realizing briefly that this had been the result of his training with his

father. His swords swung with deadly grace and the rest of his body mimicked the motions with fluent dodges and leaps. At one point he blocked

one of Rodyle's attacks, protecting Presea, who looked at him with suspicion.

"Whose side is it you are on?" she asked simply.

"Tch," Lloyd answered, jerking his head, "for the moment, yours."

It was easier to talk like that to her, seeing as he really didn't know her. Or was it that...it was just getting easier in total?

"Thunder Blade!" Genis cast, the magic cleaving through Rodyle before Presea hacked him down the back.

"YEAAARRRRRRGGHHHH!!" he shrieked. "My- my body is disintegrating! Pronyma...you tricked me!"

Pronyma tricked him? How? Lloyd made a mental note to ask Kratos what he knew about this.

"I won't die alone!" he howled, twisting in agony. "I'll take you all with me-!"

Lloyd noticed he was going for a machine that he recognized from the past ranches as what Raine used to blow them up. Before he knew he had

reacted he had impaled Rodyle through the throat, his eyes narrowing as the blood splashed on his face. In a brief instant of horror he recalled

his dream, how he had killed his friends and barely reacted, much like he was doing now- No. No. Keep this up, for now, for now he had to do

this...

"Aggg...aghckthb!!!" Rodyle gurgled, drowning in his own blood.

"This is your punishment for betraying Lord Yggdrasill," Lloyd said simply, realizing he still had an act to carry out, "if you had had the common

sense to realize you could not hide anything from us, perhaps you might have lived."

With that he pulled his sword out and the creature fell to the ground, a pool of red spreading out under the corpse. They stood there in silence as

they stared at Lloyd, the Ophan slowly bringing up his hand to wipe the blood off of his cheeks, trying desperately not to recall his dream.

"...Lloyd..."

He twitched and slowly turned to face them, a deadened look in his eyes that he was not faking. He was tired of this...so tired of having to face

them as their enemy, so tired of having to act- he was so tired of it he had just come to accept it.

"Lloyd- do you- do you recognize us?" Genis asked.

What? What was he talking about? Last time...oh yes, last time he didn't, so that was a good question to ask, he supposed.

"And what do you hope to do with an answer to that question?" he asked, sounding much like his father.

"Lloyd, is Kratos really your father?!" Genis asked, desperation in his features.

Speak of the devil.

"What of it?" he asked simply.

"Lloyd...you're- you're doing this for him, aren't you?" Genis asked, his brow furrowed. "Lloyd- just- just tell us what's going on! What are you

doing with Cruxis?! What aren't you telling us?!"

He remained silent, looking away from them as he sheathed his swords.

"Lloyd Irving, answer me or so help me I'll-!!" Genis shouted, taking out his kendama once more.

"Aurion," he stated coldly, not even bothering to turn around.

"I- What?" Genis shook his head, stunned.

"...My name," he said coldly, turning to glance at him, "is Lloyd _Aurion_."

"But- but I-" Genis stammered.

"Lloyd Irving doesn't exist anymore," he said in a monotone, turning to face them.

It was true. For now Lloyd Irving was gone: he was Lloyd Aurion. As long as he wore this uniform and couldn't call himself their friend, he was

Lloyd Aurion, Ophan of Cruxis.

"Lloyd..." Raine whispered, her mouth slightly agape as her eyes misted.

"W- What-? Then- then- then who are you?! Lloyd 'Aurion'?!" Genis snarled, gritting his teeth together. "I don't care what your name is, Lloyd!

You're our friend! What the heck are you doing-?!"

He twitched, spreading out his wings and furrowing his expression into a deadly glare.

"Your friend?! Look at me! Look at me you damned idiot!" he snarled, flapping his wings. "I tried to _kill _you, I've been taking orders from

Yggdrasill, my father is a Seraph, and-"

"You don't belong there, Lloyd!" Genis cried, tears in his eyes.

Lloyd said the first thing that came to his head, the first three words that escaped him and left him horrified of himself.

"Yes I do," he stated coldly.

What? No- no he didn't-

"That's bull! Lloyd-!"

"I'm an angel! It wasn't even because of the exsphere! I was born one!" Lloyd shouted, his expression turning from a calm fury to that of rage.

"Born an angel, Genis! And where the hell on Sylvarant or Tethe'alla are angels born?! They aren't! Colette is an angel because of a crystal, so is

every other angel in existence!"

He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of him, and even moreso he was terrified of how...he believed them. It was true, wasn't it?

He...he didn't belong with them, did he?

"I didn't get a choice!" he continued to shout. "The only place angels belong is Derris-Kharlan! Don't you understand that?! I- I was never meant

to even know you!"

"Lloyd-!" Colette gasped, covering her mouth.

"Don't say things like that-!" Sheena started.

"You be quiet!" he snapped at her. "My father is one of the Seraphim! I'm an Ophan! I- I was doomed to this- I was destined to end up like this

from the start! Don't you understand this?! Don't you understand that I'm not- that I was never-... That I'm one of them?!"

"It doesn't matter what you are, Lloyd!" Colette cried, bobbing her fists. "You can choose where you belong!"

He grew silent and gave his wings a brief flap, staring numbly at them. He could choose where he belonged...right? He could. But...Lloyd Irving

belonged with them, and he wasn't Lloyd Irving anymore, Lloyd Irving didn't say things like what he had just said. Maybe....Lloyd Irving really

didn't exist anymore. After all the time he'd spent in Cruxis, all the time he'd been on the opposite side of his friends, facing them as their enemy-

Lloyd Irving wasn't their enemy, Lloyd Irving wouldn't turn on them, Lloyd Irving wouldn't have just done what he had done.

Yet....

"You're right, I can choose where I belong," Lloyd said softly after a minute.

Their expressions instantly brightened, thinking they had gotten through to him.

"Lloyd Irving belongs with you," he said, "but...I'm Lloyd Aurion."

He jolted his head up and glared forward with a dull determination, a hollow feeling in his chest.

"And I belong in Cruxis."

**....OUCH! XD I think I just hurt myself writing that line! WOO! I'm all hyper now, ehehehehe.... Identity crises are just so much fun to **

**write...eheheheheh...**

**Colette: T.T**

**Me: I think I know why Sage writes so many of these, I've got chills! 3 EVIL-SKLEE! Er...uh..(cough) please review?**

**Colette: Lloyd...T.T...**


	16. Chapter 16

**Well, my laptop died so I officially have to actually be near other people to write...which ****aggravates me to no end. T.T It throws off my **

**groove! And my brother always hogs the ****damn computer! T.T...So for a while, I'm sorry to say you should expect slower ****updates...T.T...**

**Colette: Oh...Freakyanimegal owns nothing! n.n**

**Me: T.T....**

**NOTE 4/22/09: Have rewritten some of the chapter, have realized it can be improved and I messed up XD Thanks. **

"You...you don't mean that!"

Lloyd stood there silently as Colette ran forward, Zelos grabbing her arm and holding her back when she attempted to get close to the angel.

Lloyd looked at her a moment before he turned away, unwilling to look at her any longer. He turned his back on his friends, dismissing his wings

and began walking down the pathway that lead to his father, every step seeming to take something out of him; as if he was walking through

water and the ocean was trying to pull him back in deeper. He felt numb, his head felt foggy as he made his way away from them, ignoring

their cries and pleas.

"LLOYD-!!"

Colette broke away from the group, running to Lloyd and flinging her arms around him, sobbing into his back as he froze in place.

"Please, Lloyd! I-!"

"Chosen," Lloyd said quietly, not turning to look at her, "you need to leave."

"Lloyd-"

"If you do not leave I'll have to take you," he said in an inaudible voice, "so leave..pleaseleave…"

"But Lloyd-"

"I'm not the same Lloyd-"

"You're still you!" Colette cried. "Lloyd, please, we don't care if-!"

"Enough!" Lloyd snapped, prying her off of him and dashing down the hall.

He tore down the path just as Kratos came toward him from the opposite direction. Lloyd barely registered it as he found himself in Kratos arms,

sobbing into his chest like a child.

"Lloyd- Lloyd, what's wrong?" Kratos asked, unnerved at his son's state.

"Let's leave," his whispered into his father's white garb, "please…let's leave."

"…"

Kratos nodded simply and turned back the way he had came, attempting to look like he didn't notice the tears Lloyd was trying to hide from him.

* * *

"Lloyd, are you all right?"

The brunette glanced up at his father briefly, his brown hairs partially obscuring his eye as his bowed head continued to face the window. Lloyd

said nothing and turned his gaze out at the city of Welgaia through his bedroom, his father closing his eyes briefly before speaking.

"Lloyd, what happened?" he asked softly.

How long had it been? Two weeks? Two weeks and he had said nothing of what had occurred. Rodyle had perished, but Lloyd was in this state…

He assumed he had run in with his companions, as he heard their voices, but of what had transpired he did not know. The Ophan before him

remained silent before he drew a breath and slowly spoke:

"I hurt them again," he said simply.

"Lloyd-"

"But I don't belong with them anymore," Lloyd whispered, his head resting on his forearms as he leaned on the window-sill, "I…I never was

supposed to belong with them."

"Why do you say that?" Kratos asked softly.

"Because…I'm an angel," he stated simply, "I don't belong there."

"Lloyd-"

"I belong with you, Dad," Lloyd said as he looked at him, "I'm Lloyd Aurion…"

Kratos remained silent, looking at his son as he thought over what it was he was saying. Did Lloyd really believe his own words? Did he really

think he belonged on this lifeless comet? And if he did…what could he possibly say? Lloyd didn't deserve to be here, didn't deserve to be

trapped, didn't deserve to…to be his son. Lloyd deserved so much better, so much more, but how could he possibly gain his freedom? And even if

he had…Lloyd wouldn't take it anymore. Lloyd had given in, had come to a way of thinking that told him he had no way out. That this was the way

he had to follow, that this was what it was he had to do.

"And who is Lloyd Aurion?" Kratos asked simply.

"Your son," Lloyd said, a tinge of confusion in his expression.

"Lloyd, you're my son no matter who you choose to be," Kratos stated softly, "no matter what you choose to do. There is nothing you could do

that would make you be anyone other than who you are-"

"And who I am is-!!" Lloyd started.

"Who you are is something you decide, Lloyden," Kratos said softly, bringing up his hand to place on Lloyd's head, "you can decide for yourself, or

decide to follow someone else's decision, but nonetheless it is your choice alone."

"Dad-" he whispered, his brown eyes reverting back to the innocent pools he once possessed.

"Lloyd, if you truly want to be someone, then be it," Kratos whispered softly, "or else you will regret it for all of your life. I told you not to make a

mistake, Lloyd…but whether it is a mistake or not is whether you can live with yourself after making that choice."

Lloyd hesitated, looking at his father's soft, concerned, yet dull expression as he bit his lip.

"But Dad…I don't think I- I don't think I can stop being Lloyd Aurion now-"

"Then don't stop," Kratos stated, "just change who Lloyd Aurion is."

"…"

"…Get some rest, Lloyden," Kratos stated as he withdrew his hand and walked out.

Lloyd looked at the closed door for a few minutes, his mouth slightly agape as he took in what his father had said. Slowly he turned and looked

out the window, running his fingers through his longer bangs, a habit that was slowly becoming subconscious. He closed his eyes and sighed

deeply before walking over to his bed and plopping down on it, staring at the ceiling like he had done so many times before. Change…but he- but

he did belong here, now. Still…could he live with himself, as his father had said? Could he live with himself as he was? Did he like himself

how he was? …No. No he didn't. But what else could he be right now? Lloyd Aurion…to tell the truth, he really didn't know who that was, who he

was. With a heavy sigh he turned onto his side and closed his eyes, willing himself to lose himself to oblivion for just a little while.

When he woke he noted a pleasing scent wafting through the air, instinctively raising his

head a bit to sniff at it. Food-?

"Heh," he smirked sadly.

His father had made him breakfast, certainly a nice gesture…though it really didn't help much.

Still, it was nice to know he was trying to be supportive in his own way. He picked himself out of his room and sent his mother's picture a glance

before going downstairs, finding his father quietly placing a plate on the table for him.

"Dad-" he started.

"Eat, I have something to tell you," he stated as he turned to clean up the kitchen.

"What?"

Kratos didn't answer, aggravating Lloyd as he turned to sit down. Arguing with him wouldn't help anything. So he half-heartedly ate, dully

realizing it was the first time he had in weeks. It didn't seem to matter much anymore, though. Once he was done, Kratos turned to him.

"Lloyd, I've arranged for you to go to Tethe'alla," he stated.

"W- What?" he asked, looking up at his father in shock.

"You only have two days," he said with a frown, "and if you do not return on time Yggdrasill will send Pronyma to retrieve you, but I thought it

would do you some good away from here."

"But I-" Lloyd started, biting his lip.

"I can't come with you," Kratos said as he closed his eyes, "he won't allow it…"

"He thinks if you stay here, I'll still come back, doesn't he?" Lloyd asked as he frowned.

"Will you not?" Kratos inquired.

"No, I'll come back…" he said as he looked away, "it just makes me mad, a little."

Kratos went to say something before he silenced himself and turned away.

"I'll get some supplies and gald for you," he stated, "just be careful down there, understand?"

"But I-"

"Go and get your thoughts straight," he said softly, "I promise I won't go anywhere."

Lloyd wondered briefly what he meant as he left the room.

* * *

He wasn't quite sure what he was doing, walking toward Meltokio by himself, with no one there to accompany him, as if he always had. The last

he knew, the others were in Sylvarant, and even if they were here, they were outlawed in Meltokio…so he shouldn't run into them. There were

some good things from being in Cruxis, being the information. However, he didn't know what he was planning to do in the city, or what he was

planning to do in total.

He could go off in the city and wander around, but what was the point in that? He walked onward in thought as the city came into view, the sun

beginning its descent behind it. The male came to an abrupt halt, staring at the cluster of buildings, not really any different than Welgaia,

just with actually people. Slowly he looked around at the trees, noting how the drifted softly in the breeze, wind being another thing that Welgaia

lacked. Lloyd stood there for a moment more before turning away from the town and into the woods, scanning the ground. A light smile came to

his face as he picked up pieces of wood, kindling.

He hadn't made a campfire in what felt like forever.

Sure, no one was there for nightwatch…but he didn't have to sleep anymore. He could stay and camp outside by himself, it wouldn't hurt

anything. He'd be a little wary by himself in the middle of the night, but this was something familiar, something comforting…

"All right then," he smiled softly.

Apparently, Lloyd Aurion liked the outdoors, he thought with a sad smirk.

Soon enough he had a fire going, setting up camp with the contents of his wing pack. Kratos had included beddings, just in case, but he doubted

his father intended him to sleep outside-...but then, the angel did know him more than he thought. The sun was going down as he set a

log before the fire to sit on…a felled tree he had come upon and with his angelic strength simply lifted it up and walked to camp with it. He sat on

the log and looked into the fire, taking a larger branch and inspecting it a bit. Hesitantly he looked through his pack, finding a small knife. Once

more he hesitated between them, as if he wasn't sure he should- if he could anymore, but his doubts were scattered when he managed to bring

himself to do it.

"It's been a while…" he muttered to himself, carving out the wood-

Voices.

On instinct he got to his feet and unsheathed his swords, getting into a defensive stance as he turned toward the direction of the possible threat.

For a minute he thought he had imagined it, seeing nothing but the silhouette of Meltokio through the trees and the falling sun-

"Cyclone!"

Lloyd dodged, his campfire blowing back and twisting before it settled again. That voice-

Oh come on!

"Genis, stop!"

They were there, Genis holding his kendama and attempting not to look away from his target while Colette stood at his side, pleading with her

younger friend to stop what it was he was doing. Raine was behind Genis, trying to pull him back gently from the fight he was trying to

start whereas the remaining group members eyed Lloyd warily.

"What are you doing out here?!" Genis demanded, glaring at his former friend.

What was he doing out there? What were THEY doing here!? They were supposed to be in Sylvarant! What was giong on?!

"I was just sitting," Lloyd said calmly, managing to hide his confusion as he tilted his head to the side in bemusement, making him look like his

father, "but apparently that's a crime now."

"You jerk!!" Genis cried, tears falling loose from his blue eyes. "How can you just stand there like that after what you did?!"

"You're the ones that came after me," Lloyd pointed out, his eyes misted, "I did nothing-"

"Nothing?!" Sheena cried. "You betrayed us!!"

Lloyd said nothing, his mind drawing a blank- as if his mind was closing down his thoughts in order to stop any harmful ones from jabbing at him,

becoming numb so as not to be pained.

"…Did you come to fight, or can I go about my business?" he asked simply.

"Genis-" Raine started.

"Grave!" the boy shouted, his arm shaking with fury.

Lloyd took to the air with his wings, the rocks jutting out just under his feet as his appendages glowed in the fading light of sunset. He landed on

the top of the formation made and looked out at the half-elf as he began chanting another spell.

"Fine then," he whispered softly, "…Angel Feathers!!!"

The spell zoomed past him, causing his hair to blow forward as the feathers aimed for Genis.

"Guardian!" Zelos said, protecting the younger male.

Sheena began chanting, a card held out before her as a glyph glowing brown appeared around her feet. Summoning. Lloyd instinctively went at

her, forcing her to stop her casting in order to block his swords, thus putting her on the defensive. He noted dully how the red glow of sunset

lit them all up, how the shadows and dark crimson gleams made his friends appear to be stained with blood, how when he found himself fending

off Presea and Regal he did so without flinching, as it distorted them beyond anything recognizable- not that he cared from them much anyway.

Zelos. Zelos he already didn't like, Zelos was playing all of them, each and everyone of them- and he didn't like how his red hair and pink outfit

blended together with the dusk light in an effect that blurred his features. He easily deflected Zelos and then attempted to get at the nearest

open person: if he could get one of them down, he could make them all stop, if he just kept the blade right at their neck.

Caught up in the fight he quickly brought the nearest vulnerable person to the ground, holding the steel of his blade at their neck-

"Colette-!"

The world abruptly became real again as he looked down at the wide blue eyes, the pale face of the Chosen of Sylvarant looking reddened with

the remaining sun, just as his sword looked like it gleamed crimson…how it looked as if his blade had already spilled her blood, which was the

cause of the glowing red on her face. His body began to shake as he moved his sword back-

and promptly dropped both of them onto the forest floor.

Before he knew what he was doing he had pulled Colette into his arms and was hugging her tightly, his face in her shoulder as he began to

mutter hysterically, tears slipping from his eyes.

"Ll-?"

"I'm so sorry…" he choked, "I'm…I'm so sorry- I- Colette I-! I didn't mean for this to-!"

"Lloyd…" Colette whispered numbly.

He burrowed his face into the white fabric she wore and allowed his tears to flow, unwilling to bother stopping them. He couldn't believe what he

was doing….he couldn't believe that he had threatened Colette, had put a sword to her neck. How was this trying to protect them? That was

what he had been trying to do, protect them, help them…even though he had done nothing to help them, because he could find no way to do so.

He wasn't supposed to know them, but he knew them; he wasn't supposed to be Lloyd Irving- and he wasn't, not anymore, because Lloyd Irving

would've killed himself sooner than had done what he had just done, but perhaps…Lloyd Aurion couldn't help but care for the only friends he'd

ever had.

He heard them whisper, heard weapons put away and feet shuffled as they got closer, heard the various things they said that he didn't bother to

listen to. He cried for a long time, his wings drooping behind him as Colette lightly wrapped her arms around his shoulders above them.

"Lloyd…it's all right," she whispered softly, "it's-"

"No, no it's not all right…" he stammered, choking on his words, "it's not…it's not…"

He managed to pull himself from her, looking at her helplessly as she smiled and the last glimpse of sunlight disappeared through the woods

behind her.

"You've been going through a lot, haven't you, Lloyd?" she asked softly, still smiling even though she too looked as if she wanted to cry. "I don't

believe that you would have…done all that, if it wasn't for a very good reason."

"C-"

"I've missed you," she whispered, her smile faltering briefly.

Lloyd stared at her before he let out a half-choking, half-sobbing sound and then hugged her tightly again, this time keeping his face open as he

put his head on her shoulder.

"I missed you too…" he whispered weakly, like a child.

"Lloyd..." she said softly, gently returning the hug.

"Lloyd," Raine said stiffly.

Lloyd slowly released Colette and turned to look back at the rest of them, looking at his teacher as she looked at him with skepticism, suspicion

and…and faintest gleam of hope. Slowly he got to his feet, helping Colette up as he did so, facing them as he stood tall. He would take what

was coming to him, he would get what he deserved, but he would face it. He'd face the penalty he'd reaped. Slowly he attempted to speak,

faltering minute before he did so.

"I'm sorry," he said simply, "I know that- I know that that's not enough, but I truly am."

He glanced aside, his hair obscuring his face.

"Nothing I can say or do will make up for it, but I…I want you to know that I-"

"Lloyd," Genis said suddenly.

Lloyd looked at the half-elf as he approached slowly, the angel barely managing to look at him.

Then Genis whacked him upside the head with his kendama.

"Ah-!"

"That's for being an idiot, you idiot!!!" the boy shouted, sniffling a bit.

"…" Lloyd closed his eyes.

"W- Well?!" Genis demanded after stammering a bit.

"Well what?" Lloyd asked.

"Aren't you going to tell me to shut it?!" the half-elf shouted, stomping his foot on the ground.

"Genis-"

"No no no! Tell me to shut it! Call me a twerp! Threaten to give me a noogie! Come on!" Genis demanded, giving Lloyd a slight shove. "Come on,

Lloyd! Let me know you're back! Lloyd-!"

"Genis, I'm not that Lloyd anymore-"

"Then Lloyd Aurion needs to freaking lighten up!" he snapped up at him.

'Change who Lloyd Aurion is'...

"Lloyd Aurion isn't used to friends," Lloyd whispered softly, "but…but he'd like to have them."

Genis glared up at him and waved the kendama threateningly up at him.

"Don't make me hit you again," he warned.

Lloyd smiled.

"I'm so proud of you, Genis," he said.

Genis gasped, his eyes wide as he stared up at his old friend.

"W- What do you mean by-?"

"Lloyd," Raine snapped, attempting to get to business. " Do you honestly expect us to just trust you again after all that you did? Unless you have

a good explanation, we're not buying this. You're right, just saying 'sorry' doesn't clear anything up. At all."

Lloyd hesitated a bit and looked at them, then at the dwindling fire that was fading because of the lack of fuel that had been added to it. WHile

he did so Raine pulled Genis away from him, motioning for the blonde to do likewise as Colette reluctantly turned and joined sides with them once

more. Lloyd noted this and momentarily locked eyes with Raine, her blue irises narrowed dangerously. The angel hesitated and then sighed a bit,

rubbing his forehead.

"Take a seat," he stated as he walked over and fed the fire, "it's a long story."

Slowly the group complied, though Raine reluctantly as she never took her eyes off of her former pupil. They seated themselves around the fire,

Genis speechless and Colette nervously glancing at the angel as they watched Lloyd wait patiently for them to seat themselves.

"All right…" Lloyd whispered, "I woke up in Welgaia…"

**Shorter chapter, still….I liked it. n.n I pretty much undid what I did last chapter, but fret not ****(coughSagecough) Lloydie's not out of Cruxis **

**yet…****I rather liked the ****fight at sunset thing…it's one of those things I ****could see why I wrote, you know? n.n Hope ****you enjoyed it as well. **

**Colette: Hope you liked! n.n**


	17. Chapter 17

**M'kay, let's get started. (Cracks knuckles) …God I love this song! Tell me a reason why this isn't a treason…n.n**

**Colette: ?**

**Me: Oh, it's an AMV on youtube called 'Traitor to Heaven', guess who's the star XD**

**Colette: Um…Freakyanimegal owns nothing.**

**NOTE 6/6/09: Bits have been edited. **

Lloyd sat on the log and propped up his head, leaning his arm against his leg. His fingers fiddled and threaded through his longer bangs as he

gazed into the fire, lost in the blaze of the flames and the words coming from his mouth. He wasn't sure how he managed to tell them what had

happened, but it seemed once he had started the words simply came forward, he didn't think about it, they just came one after the other, a

myriad of a thousand impulsive words that came at a whim in an order.

"_Since I'm his son I was compatible for the transfer," he explained, "so when I finally came to, D-…Kratos was in control of my body. I was still there, but _

_I couldn't do anything, you see…"_

"_How is that possible?" Raine glared at him, her eyes narrowed._

"_I'm not quite sure," he admitted dully, not bothering to move or look at her, "it's the same thing they wanted to do to Colette- to put Martel's mana into _

_her. Except I had my soul, so I guess Kratos and I just ended up having to share."_

"_I see," she bit her lip, bringing her hand up to her chin in thought, "yes, that would make sense…"_

Interludes to his explanation came in forms such as those: questions and skepticism from the various members, suspicion, shock, confusion, and

once or twice he thought that maybe- just maybe- they felt bad for him. He didn't tell them a few things, little things, things like when he had cried

in Kratos' arms, how he had a picture of his mother, how he had sobbed in the corner of his father's room when he had a chance to leave and

found himself too weak to decide.

"How long has it been, now?" Lloyd wondered, as if the explaining had exhausted him, tilting his head to the side as he continued to stare into

the fire. "Since the tower…I don't know."

They remained silent as he slowly looked up at them, his eyes sad and gleaming red in the firelight. They looked at him a moment before one of

them realized he truly wanted an answer.

"I…I don't know," Genis admitted, shaking his head, "three months? Four?"

"That long?" Lloyd frowned, rubbing his forehead as he sighed. "I see…"

"You were without your soul for a month after attacking us?" Raine said, her face furrowed. "What did you do that whole time?"

"I…I don't know," he groaned, "I only remember- doing 'that'- I can't remembering doing anything else that might have been important…"

"Really?" she hissed darkly.

"Really," he said simply, looking her in the eye, "but maybe you could answer me something too…what are you all doing here? Last I heard you

were supposed to still be in Sylvarant."

"Oh, well, we were there but…" Genis fidgeted, "something- uh- came up."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow before the half-elf interrupted before the angel could speak.

"But Lloyd- what…what did you mean when you said you were proud of me?"

"…" the elder teen looked away, "because you…took care of everyone."

Slowly he found himself smiling softly, an action that felt almost foreign to him to be smiling near them when before...

"You took care of everyone and kept going on trying to find a way to save everyone, even though I had done all of that to you," he whispered,

looking away as his smile fell, "so I was really proud that you did what you needed to do, Genis."

Genis said nothing, turning from Lloyd as he bit his lip and tried not to let his friend see that he was starting to cry. He had toughened up a lot

since the journey had began, yet he still thought himself a coward deep down…so to hear the one he had admired tell him such a thing made him

so happy he couldn't stand it.

"So…" Lloyd said, glancing around once more before looking away, "I take it you're not going to tell me why you came to Tethe'alla…that's all

right. I really don't need to know."

He wanted to know, of course, but he felt that just having them listen to him like this was more than he had deserved.

"It's late now, isn't it?" Lloyd said, looking around. "You guys can keep this campsite, I'll find somewhere else-"

"What? But…where are you going?" Colette asked with a frown.

"It's dangerous to travel at night," Lloyd said, "so you all should stay here-"

"And what about you?" Colette asked, concern evident in her eyes. "You should stay then, too."

"Stay?" Lloyd repeated, blinking a bit. "…I don't understand-"

"Stay with us for the night," she said, "we- I- I mean, I…"

"It would be kinda awkward," Zelos remarked, tilting his head to the side as he frowned, "but I suppose since he is your bud and all…"

"I don't think they want me here," Lloyd said simply, turning from Colette, "I'll be fine, I'll just fly to the city and see if I can find an open inn."

"Don't want you here!? Lloyd-!!" Genis started. "I swear, if you say something stupid like that again I'll-!"

Lloyd chuckled, smiling as he looked at his young friend once more.

"Thanks, Genis, but I'll be fine-"

"No, you're staying," Genis huffed, crossing his arms.

"You know I can't do that," Lloyd sighed, rubbing his forehead, "Professor-…Raine was right about that, I can't be with you guys anymore. I am

still in Cruxis even if you guys are my friends- er, if I think of you as my friends. The point is, that can't happen, I have to go back."

"But you said you came down here for a couple days, right?" Colette asked. "So you can stay at least for tonight! You can leave in the morning if

you really have to, but…but…"

Lloyd hesitated a moment, not willing to look at her and Genis any longer. Did he want to stay with them? Yes, yes he did, so much more than he

had let on; but he couldn't be with them, he wasn't Lloyd Irving anymore- He grimaced. What was with him? Why did he keep acting like he was two

different people? He was the same person no matter what he did, right? So…ah, why was this so difficult? Still…like he said before, Lloyd Aurion

would like friends as well, so either way…

"If the rest of them are okay with it, I guess I can-"

Colette and Genis hugged him at the same time, suffocating the male from both sides as they grinned and tackled their friend with chirps of joy.

"Hey-!" he gasped.

Raine sighed as she watched her brother and pupil hug the 'traitor', rubbing her forehead as she tried to come to grips with the development.

She wasn't happy with it, not at all, but on the other hand…as much as she hated herself for thinking such, this could be a good opportunity to

get as much information from him as possible.

"Oh! You haven't really been introduced yet, have you?" Colette smiled nervously, dragging Lloyd over to Regal, Presea and Zelos. "This is Regal."

"Uh…hello," Lloyd said awkwardly, noting the cuffs on his wrists.

"A pleasure, though a rather unorthodox one I must say," the man frowned lightly.

Lloyd gave him a blank stare.

"We mentioned he wasn't very bright, right?" Genis smirked.

The teen sent the half-elf a glare that made him yelp.

"And that's Presea!" Colette chirped, ignoring her two male friends.

"…Hello," she said simply, looking up at him.

"Uh- hi," he said, still just as awkwardly.

"And I am the Great and Sexy Zelos Wilder-!"

"I know who you are," Lloyd hissed, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What-? Ah…" the man shrugged with a light smirk. "I see then, we'll have to talk later then."

"Of course," he said in a cold tone he was certain he had picked up from his father.

"What?" Genis asked.

"N- Nothing," Lloyd shook his head, "s- so, um…you're not going to let Raine cook, are you?"

Raine- whom had been currently looking through her pack while eying Lloyd- quickly located and then hurled a small rock nearby towards Lloyd's

forehead on instinct, the angel's eyes widening a split second before he simply grabbed the rock in mid-air, holding it before him as if he hadn't

realized he had just reacted. Needless to say, there were various stares.

"…Uh…" Lloyd glanced around, coughing as he threw it over his shoulder, "sorry about th-"

"OW! You hit me with that!!" Zelos cried.

"Oh," he said simply.

"Well, I WAS planning on making-" Raine started with a slight grin.

"NO!" Genis shouted loudly. "No! Y- You know what? I'll make something, o- okay? How does beef stew sound? Good? Good! Great, so I'll just

take the ingredients.."

Raine huffed and put her hands on her hips as her brother took the cooking supplies, turning to the fire as he attempted to ignore his sister's

glare on his back. She was distracted from this only when Lloyd chuckled slightly, drawing the attention of his companions.

"I- I'm sorry," he smiled weakly, "it's just…been a while."

"Heh heh," Colette giggled with her usual smile on her face, "oh! That's right…um, Lloyd?"

"What is it?" he turned to look at her.

"I was just wondering…are you growing your hair out?"

"What-? Ah…yes," he bit his lip, fingering with some of the longer strands, "I- well…yes."

"O- Oh…" she trailed, frowning slightly as she did so, "um- why?"

Lloyd remained silent for a minute, glancing at her before looking away into the dark woods.

"Perhaps there is no reason," Raine said coldly, "however, Lloyd, I would like to ask you a couple of more detailed questions- about Welgaia,

specifically."

"What about it?" Lloyd asked coolly, subconsciously using the tone that he had come to use whenever he was on the defensive.

"Anything at all," the woman said simply, "any information could be useful."

"And you trust me to be honest about it?" he narrowed his eyes.

Raine smirked, closing her eyes with a slight nod of her head.

"I suppose that was justified…" she trailed.

"Tch," Lloyd snorted as he jerked his head to the side.

"Lloyd…" Colette bit her lip.

"What-? Oh!" he shook his head, attempting to shake off the aggression as well. "I'm sorry, Colette, I-"

"It's okay, you don't have to apologize to me…" she eyed Raine.

"A- Anyway!" Genis spoke up from his cooking. "Should I put potatoes in this or-?"

"Well yeah!" Lloyd instantly said. "Geez, I haven't had stew in I don't know how long!"

Colette smiled to herself as Lloyd dashed over to Genis, both attempting to help his friend and to fixate his mind on something so he could ignore

the feeling of suspicious eyes on his back. Even if his old friends had accepted him again, it didn't mean that their new companions would- and-

and…it wouldn't ever be the same again anyway. He knew that, he accepted that, but it was to be expected. After all, he knew that he would

never be the same as he had been before either. Soon enough, however, he found himself momentarily forgetting just what the situation was and

allowed himself to do so. There was no problem with that, for a little while, right? It wasn't going to last very long anyway…

Not long at all.

"So you guys have been making summon spirit pacts, right?" Lloyd asked.

"You know about that?" Genis stared.

"Well, obviously," Raine shrugged, "he has been in Cruxis for a while now."

Lloyd ignored the ice in her tone directed at him, turning his attention back to the conversation.

"How many do you have now? You- I know you shouldn't tell me, but-"

"We got Efreet and Sylph and we were looking for clues for the light spirit when- uh- when we came back," Genis covered.

Lloyd raised an eyebrow but said nothing else pressing the matter.

"So- um- Lloyd, you've been living with Kratos, right?" Genis asked.

"Yeah, that's kind of weird," Sheena said as she put her hands on her hips, "I- I mean, that he's your father and all. It kind of makes sense

looking back at it now, but I'm just amazed you managed to take to that so quickly…"

"Well, it wasn't exactly easy," Lloyd sighed loudly, "I certainly didn't take it gracefully. Thing is- I- um…I just…wanted to know him."

He noticed the strange looks they gave him as he flinched and glanced away to hide his blush.

"I know that's weird, but I just really wanted to know him more because he's…you know. I wanted to try to be a family again…" he trailed.

"Lloyd…" Colette bit her lip.

"I know that's no excuse, and I'm sorry, but-" he stammered.

"I still have my kendama right here, Lloyd," Genis warned, "shut up now."

"Oh yes, I almost forgot," Raine spoke up, "Lloyd, were you working with Yuan for a time?"

Lloyd stared a bit, startled at the words that came out of his former-teacher.

"How-? …He told you, didn't he?" he sighed again.

"Yeah," Genis said, "right after you- um- at Gnome's- yeah. That. Anyway, Botta told us that you were going to help Yuan before that had

happened to you and we kind of pieced together the rest of it. Raine, of course, had to be a pessimist about the whole thing!"

"I-" Raine started.

"I don't blame her," Lloyd's gaze fell, "after what I did at the ranch and all…someone needed to be thinking logically about all of this, I guess."

"But Lloyd-!" Colette blurted. "Genis was right, though!"

"Huh?"

"Genis said that you were just going along with Cruxis because you wanted to save your father!" she exclaimed, her cheeks flushing. "So- so it

doesn't matter anymore! You were doing it for your father, right?"

At first, yes, that was why he was doing it, right? And the only reason he was allowed on the planet right now anyway was because if he did not

come back Kratos would be… So yes, he was doing it for his father. Just lately he was doing it for that and because he couldn't find a way out…

because he had given up on finding a way out. Was there even one…?

"Yes," Lloyd answered her softly.

"So- so- it doesn't matter! I would've done the same thing!" Colette said.

Lloyd smiled softly as he closed his eyes.

"No…I think you're a little too strong for that Colette," he said.

"What, so protecting your family isn't strong now, Lloyd?" Genis scoffed.

"Huh-? Well yes it is," he nodded, "I mean- just…it doesn't make up for-"

"Ken-da-ma," Genis waved the object in Lloyd's face, his blue eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Er- right, I'll stop," Lloyd chuckled in a mix between amusement and anxietyy, backing away from his friend.

"What exactly was it Yuan told you?" Raine asked, obviously not relenting on what it was she desired to know.

"Yuan?" he blinked. "Yuan didn't tell me much, really; he just told me to contact him if Yggdrasill tried to do something to Rodyle or his ranch. I

guess that's over now, though, seeing as how the Renegades already attacked it."

Eventually Raine was satiated with all Lloyd could tell and the group fell into an almost normal feeling. Genis pressed Lloyd into getting to know

Presea, Regal and Zelos (though the half-elf didn't understand why Lloyd almost refused to talk to said philanderer) and Lloyd found himself

actually somewhat happy for the first time in a long while… Somewhat. They were all falling asleep, after all, and once they were all drifted off he

was going to leave. It gave him a fresh burst of guilt to be planning such, after all of this, but he had to leave them. Each second he spent with

them was endangering them and making him feel more and more uneasy.

But before he left, he needed to talk to a certain someone.

* * *

Lloyd glanced around at the sleeping forms of his friends, taking in every detail he could. Raine's silvery hair glinting the firelight, Genis snoring

loudly from beside her, his arms sprawled out in a comical fashion as he tossed at random intervals, Sheena slumped against a tree, Presea and

Regal snoozing in their foreign, unseen fashions (to him at least) and Colette…Colette with her eyes closed gently not far from him. He was

relieved to see she had regained her various human traits, but he couldn't help but wonder why. She had come back to herself when he was

under Kratos' control, when 'he' had cut his friends down with his words. Then she had just…come back. Why? He couldn't understand what it

was that had saved her…but looking at her sleep he found that he didn't quite care why, so long as it did. He sighed deeply.

"Well…" he muttered.

Lloyd got to his feet, ignoring the dying fire as he began to walk away from it. He had gotten all but two steps when Zelos' voice stopped him.

"And where you going, hm?" he asked from his spot on the ground.

"It doesn't matter," Lloyd hissed softly, "but first…we have to talk."

"Talk, eh?"

Zelos sat up and stretched his arms briefly before he rested his hands behind his head, smirking slyly at the ophan that glared down at him from

several feet away.

"Well if you say so," his eyes narrowed as his smirk grew, "lead on, Mr. Cruxis-Angel."

Lloyd suppressed the urge to snarl as he turned and walked into the woods, hearing Zelos following him into the forest behind him. Once they

had gotten far enough, Lloyd turned to glare at Zelos, showing nothing but hostility in his expression.

"Just who's side are you on?" he demanded.

"I could ask you the same thing now couldn't I?" the man smirked even more slyly.

"I know you're working with Cruxis, and the Renegades, so-"

"And you're doing the exact same thing," Zelos tsked, wagging his finger side to side in Lloyd's face, "so in what universe do you have the right to

chastise ME for this?"

"Because I'm not lying to _them _about it," Lloyd glared, "Yuan knows I want to help him, Dad knows I don't like Cruxis, and they know everything

now too."

"Because they caught you," Zelos smirked.

Lloyd gritted his teeth as his glare intensified on Zelos' face, attempting to calm himself down before he did something that he would most likely

regret- or at least have to pay for.

"You know I have no intention of hurting them and I'm only with Cruxis to keep my Dad-"

"Well, maybe I have someone I'm trying to keep safe too, did you think of that?" Zelos hissed, losing his aloof demeanor almost instantaneously.

"You've got your reasons, Lloydie-boy, and I've got mine."

"Are you going to hurt them?" Lloyd asked simply, referring to his friends.

"Them? Nah, not planning on it," the man shrugged, "but whatever's in my best interest-"

"You make me sick," he snapped.

"Then you should be making yourself want to blow chunks then, am I right?"

Lloyd recoiled slightly, his eyes widening somewhat as he drew back.

"Well, whatever, if you want to be a hypocrite I really don't care," Zelos yawned as he turned away from him and walked toward the camp, "you

do your thing and I'll do mine, that's as far as this is going to go. But remember, kid, you owe it to me your best bud's even alive."

"What? What're you…" Lloyd frowned deeply, straining to remember.

"I gave your dear old pops a way out, for all of us," Zelos said coldly as he stopped with his back to him, "so unless you want me to blow his AND

your little treacherous acts to Yggdrasill, keep shut about ME, comprende?"

When Lloyd didn't answer Zelos continued to walk off.

"Night, angel," he waved back at him without turning around.

The teen watched after him as the darkness engulfed his form, the dark plants swaying and twitching with the cold breeze and the twinge of

nightlife. He had no choice, then, did he? He had to keep quiet about Zelos…he didn't have an alternative.

He hated not having an alternative anymore.

**Um..I'd say that's a decent length. I was tad shaky with the part where he was with them, but I felt it needed to be done. Like how he had **

**to be with his friends just a little while or this entire story would've fallen into inescapable angstness. Oh yeah, and there is a plothole in **

**this...but if it's the one I'm thinking off, it was purposeful. n.n Please just bear with me.**

**Colette: Have a nice day :D!**


	18. Chapter 18

**I love it when I have plot-bunnies for a story I already have going XD**

**As you can see, the 'Noodle Incident' shall be explained this chapter. n.n (Dubbed by TV Tropes)**

**Colette: Noodle…? O.o'**

**Me: Something that everyone refers to that you never find out what it is. I'm going to shed a bit of light on what Lloyd was doing that month…and why Genis and the rest of them ended up in Tethe'alla. n.n Two birds one stone!**

**Zelos: Two girls one cup?**

**Me: What the f-?! ZELOS! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY NOTES!**

**Zelos: Hehehehehe…**

**Colette: I don't get it. o.O' **

**Me: (Sigh) I own nothing; and thanks to Sage for betaing this chapter. n.n **

"He did _what_?!"

Colette bit her lip as she watched their diminutive leader angrily glare down at the ground, clenching his fists to his side as he attempted to calm himself down.

"I can't believe he just left-!" Genis shouted, gritting his teeth. "Why?! He said he'd leave in the morning… Why didn't he at least tell us good-bye!?"

"Well, it's not like it wasn't awkward," Sheena admitted with a sigh, closing her eyes as she crossed her arms across her torso, "he was probably uncomfortable with having to do a good-bye with this whole situation."

"But-!"

"Genis, calm down," Raine said softly, putting a hand on her brother's shoulder, "Sheena's probably right. Lloyd probably didn't want to have to repeat last night…"

"But…." Genis said again, frowning as he looked down at the ground again.

"He…do you really think he doesn't remember?" Colette spoke up, glancing to the side. "I- I want to trust him but I don't know for sure If he remembers or not…"

"Well," Raine sighed, "he _was_ without his soul; I doubt it would be easy for him to remember anything like what he did without something to spark the memory. The only reason he remembered his attack on us was because it was a traumatic memory, I assume. He did almost kill Genis, after all."

"Bull, how do we know he wasn't lying about not knowing?" Zelos scoffed loudly.

"But…" Genis bit his lip as a forlorn expression overtook him, thinking back to a few weeks prior.

_

* * *

_

"What the-? Why is the entrance sealed?" Genis said.

Genis and the group stood before the Balacruf Mausoleum, which previously had been unsealed. The slab of rock had held open as a result of the stone map that had acted as a key. What they found now was that theentrance shut tight, as if they had never been there, and even the oracle stone had disappeared. What was left on the pedestal was a single piece of the map, broken and crumbling slightly at the edge it had been broken off from its fellow pieces.

"The map is broken," Raine frowned deeply, walking up to the fragment and slipping it out of the slot, "and I don't see any of the other parts around here…"

"You think someone broke it?" Sheena asked with a frown, crossing her arms over her torso.

"Highly possible," the woman sighed, "it's probably an attempt to keep us from making any more pacts…"

"So what, we can't get in?" Zelos asked with a scoff. "They destroyed it?"

"No, I don't think so," Raine shook her head, "if they wanted to destroy it, they wouldn't have left a piece, they would've crushed the entire thing."

"So the other pieces have got to be around here _somewhere_, right?" Genis asked. "All right, so we just have to track down those pieces, put them back together and open the door back up?"

"Yes," Raine nodded, "I don't think we have a better option…"

"Well, okay," Colette nodded, "Let's ask that guy over there if he saw anything."

"You think maybe Cruxis did it?" Zelos asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I don't think anyone else would, would they?" Sheena frowned.

"Y- Yeah, let's get a move on!" Genis said with a determined look, heading over to ask one of the travelers whether they had seen anything strange.

"Up by there?" he asked, pointing toward the ruins. "Well…now that you mention it, there was a rather weird boy messing with something up there the other day."

"Really? Could you tell us about him?" Raine asked with a slight frown.

"Sure," he nodded, "let's see…he was about this tall…he was wearing all white and he had this really messy, spiky brown hair…two swords-"

"Wait, what?!" Genis gasped. "What did you say?!"

"Did this boy have an exsphere on his left hand?" Raine asked curtly.

"Huh-? Well, yes, I think so," he nodded, "why, you know him?"

The group exchanged a glance before Genis decided to hurry on the conversation.

"No. Hey, do you know which way he went?" he asked.

"Well, there's only one way to the mainland so I guess he went that way…?"

"Oh, right," Genis flushed a bit, a little embarrassed, "yeah. Okay, thanks anyway."

"No problem," he stated.

Genis and the group headed off from the ruins, a deep frown on most of their faces when they all turned into their usual group huddle. There was a moment of brief silence before Sheena decided to call out the elephant in the room.

"Lloyd did it?" she said with a frown.

"It had to be," Genis spat, clenching his fists at his side, "he's trying to stop us from making the pacts with the summon spirits."

"Hm…interesting," Raine frowned.

"Huh-? What is?" her brother asked, noticing his sister was inspecting the piece of rock.

"This piece of the map…its mana is fluctuating," she stated.

"What? What do you mean?" he frowned.

"When I move it this way, the fluctuations lessen," she said, moving it towards the mausoleum, "but when I move it toward the mainland it increases…I believe the map may be indicating where its other pieces are."

"Really?" Regal asked, raising an eyebrow. "So it can detect the other parts?"

"It seems like it," Raine nodded.

"Like we'd play 'hot and cold', Professor?" Colette asked. "Kinda like that?"

"Hm…I suppose that's one way you could describe it," she mused, "either way, it should help us find the others."

"Right…well, let's get going!"

* * *

"But why did he ask if we were making pacts if he remembered?" Genis asked. "If he remembered, he wouldn't have mentioned them, right? Because we did see him…"

Earlier, they had managed to locate the map's parts on Sylvarant, only to find them in desolate areas guarded by underling angels. Even after that, when they had attempted to get to Efreet, they found that the door was blocked and the oracle stone's tablet that detected Colette was gone. That was why they had come to Tethe'alla, to find the tablet for the oracle-stone. Botta had informed them that it was there, and apparently Lloyd had hidden in there as well in a further attempt to slow them down. Truth be told, they hadn't made the pact with Efreet just yet… Well, at the moment t hey had other matters to discuss.

"B- Besides, we told him we made the pact with Efreet," Genis said, "if he remembered he just left the tablet here a few days ago, he'd know we hadn't made it yet."

"That's true," Sheena bit her lip, "I guess you're right. Lloyd didn't seem to remember he did all that then."

As they discussed him, the young Ophan himself was making his way around the next continent, attempting to relax a bit through walking as he tried not to think of what his companions would say. Doubtless, they'd be mad at him for leaving like that, but he didn't want them to try to convince him to stay again…he wasn't sure he'd be able to resist as well as he had before. True, he wouldn't have stayed anyway, but it would've been just painful to go through that again…. Still, something about what they told him bothered him for some reason. When they were talking about the pacts, something in him…twinged. He wasn't sure what had managed to bother him so, but he had the strangest feeling like…like he forgot something. Was it when he lost his soul? Did something else happen? He strained to remember, finding he couldn't. With a loud sigh, he sat down and rolled up his pant leg to rub his calve, finding it had been hurting for some reason-

"What the…?" he stared.

There was a scar on his leg, a scar from a burn,. A scar he most certainly was sure was not there the last time he checked. When did he get this? With a heavy frown he ran his finger along it-

And then he remembered.

_He stood in silence by the wooden shaft, the dark, dank tunnels of the mine around him. A few angel drones hovered lifelessly a bit from him in a circle around a small piece of stone that had been broken off from the Balacruf Map. They would be coming for that, and he was going to make sure they didn't take it. _

"_Lord Lloyd," one said in a monotone, "the Chosen's group is approaching."_

"_All right then," he said calmly, "you know what to do."_

_The angels gave a bow to the teen and floated away, moving to intercept the group. Needless to say, they soon failed and Lloyd found himself staring down his former companions. _

"_L- Lloyd?!" Genis gasped. "What are you doing he-!?"_

_Lloyd pulled out his swords and pointed them at the travelers._

_"I cannot allow you to proceed," he said simply, finding that he wasn't the least bit interested in their words…or their expressions or existence, for that manner. _

"_Lloyd-!"_

"_Genis, stop," Raine said, glaring at Lloyd, "look at his eyes. They're the same as they were in the Earth Temple."_

"_He still doesn't have his soul?" Colette exclaimed, her eyes widening._

_"But why is he-?" Genis started._

_Raine frowned down at the piece of the map she had, noting the mana fluctuations and the fact it seemed to be indicating Lloyd._

_"He has the last piece," she said, biting her lip as she looked up at the Cruxis Angel._

_"He does? So...oh man," Genis groaned, shaking his head._

"_Are you going to persist in taking this or are you going to leave?" Lloyd said smoothly, his voice a monotone just as his underlings had been._

"_W…We need that!" Genis said, whipping out his kendama._

"_Very well then," he said simply, charging in for the group. _

_The battle consisted in the darkness, illumination coming from the glow of Lloyd's and Colette's wings and the circles of magic spells below the mages. Lloyd was losing, that much was obvious, but he was certainly putting up a good fight. He had to delay them, at the very least, and he knew he was accomplishing that much. He even almost considered to eliminate them when he successfully knocked Presea out, turning toward Raine-_

"_Flame Lance!"_

_In that brief moment where he turned, he left himself wide-open for the spell Genis had cast. He barely managed to dodge it in time, though the firey mana managed to swipe past and scald his right leg. The Ophan looked at his assailant just as Regal knocked him to the floor._

"…Oh…oh my g…" Lloyd choked, staring down at the scar, "I…I was…?"

Slowly he brought up a hand to cover his mouth, shaking somewhat as he replayed the scene in his mind. He'd been doing that? He'd been keeping them from making the pacts? Briefly more memories returned to him; of him taking and hiding the map pieces and hiding the oracle stone's slab in the Fooji mountains. That's what he'd been doing this whole time?! He'd been directly in their way…. His face fell as he bowed his head, his shaking steadily worsening. If he'd forgotten doing that, what else could he have done that he didn't remember? He sat there in silence for a good while before he pulled the pant leg down and stared dumbly at the floor before getting to his feet while shaking his head.

Sitting here wasn't going to do anything, and besides, they had what they needed now, and he had done what Yggdrasill told him to, so everything was all right for now. That aside, he still had one day left down here….but he really couldn't think of what he could do. Now that he had run into them, he didn't feel like doing anything, he would've just kept thiking about them. So what was left? Just go back up to Derris-Kharlan? Or…well, he was in the middle of nowhere, he could just fly around, couldn't he? No one should see him out here, though maybe it would make it easier for his former-companions to track him down with his wings glowing like that. Then what?

He sighed loudly just as a distinct whine met his ears.

"Wh-? Noishe?" he said, jerking his head to the side.

Sure enough, the long-eared animal was running toward him, his tongue lolling out as he raced for his master. Before Lloyd managed to even say anything further the 'dog' had knocked him to the ground and began slobbering all over his face.

"N- Noishe! Knock it off-! Get off me, you dumb mutt!" he lsaid, attempting to shove the animal off of him.

Noishe responded with another whine as he climbed off of the brunette, sitting down patiently as the teen got to his feet and wiped the slobber off of his cheeks.

"Noishe, it's so good to see you," he smiled, patting the animal's head, "but…how the heck did you get here? Didn't they leave you in Sylvarant? Were you with Genis and the others? I didn't see you with them..."

The protozoan responded with another whine, tilting his head to the side to encourage Lloyd to scratch behind his large ear.

"Well…anyway, I'm glad you're here," he said, "I've been…kind of stressed lately."

His lost his smile for a heavy sigh, Noishe cuddling in closer to him in an attempt to comfort him.

"You won't believe what I've been doing since I went to Derris-Kharlan," he mumbled sadly, "I found out that Kratos is my D- …Come to think of it…"

Slowly he looked down at Noishe, noting the strangely intelligent gleam in his eyes.

"…Dad talked to you just like I do, right?" he asked hesitantly. "Did…did he know you before?"

Noishe stopped his panting, staring at the teen as he stared back.

"Nevermind," Lloyd sighed, "it's not like you could answer me-"

_Don't assume things like that, Lloydie-boy._

Lloyd jumped about a foot.

"W- Who said that-?!"

_I did. Duh, who else is here? Yes, me, your 'dog'._

"You-?" the angel stared down at him. "Noishe? You can talk?!"

_Yup. Well…kind of. I can't talk the way you can, but now that you're an angel I can speak to you just fine. Angels have mana that's a bit more advanced than other species, though not as much as a protozoan's, of course._

"A what?" the brunette stared.

_A protozoan. Me. No, Lloyd, I'm not a dog. What kind of dog is green and has ears as big as mine? I know you forgot what I was when you got separated from Kratos and all, but still… How is he doing, anyway? I haven't seen him since Hima. I miss having someone to talk to, no offense, but Colette isn't exactly my pick for a conversation. Nice girl, but by the gods, I'm sure I'd go insane talking to her; then she'd probably tell Raine and she'd try to dissect me…ugh, way more trouble than it's worth. I know it's kinda mean, but I'm glad you're in Cruxis now; I can talk to you and you're not going to tell Raine. By the way, you're growing your hair out? Geez, you're gonna look just like your dad! Kratos, of course, there's no way in hell you'd look like Dirk. Haven't seen him either, it's been boring. By the way-_

"Whoa whoa _whoa_! Slow down!" Lloyd shook his head.

He never knew his d- that Noishe- was so talkative! Who knew something that could only whine, growl and howl could go on so much?

_What? Am I talking too much? Crap. You know, I always do that. Uh-huh, yup, as soon as Kratos could hear me I talked to him day and night and when he set up camp or when he walked or when he cleaned his swords and even when he tried to sleep. I only did that once, though, because then he almost cut my wing off. I had feathers back then, did you know? Yup, I was a bird during the Kharlan War. Protozoans change shape over the centuries, before that I was a fish! You ever hear that old tale about the ocean being some kinda utopia? It's crap; living in the ocean sucks so much dorsal fin you have NO idea. Every tale and legend they tell you is crap; like that one about the World Regeneration-_

"Hold on a minute, what?" Lloyd shook his head. "What did you just say?"

_Old tales are full of crap?_

"No, that part about being a bird-"

_During the Kharlan War, yeah?_

"…You were alive four-thousand years ago?" Lloyd said slowly, an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

_Yeah, so? How else did I meet Kratos and them? Hellish times, I tell you. Every we went someone was trying to kill us or we were trying to kill them and Yuan bitched the whole time and Martel went on and on trying to tell Mithos to stop pulling my feathers out and Kratos just sighed like he was in a house full of nuts and when I tried to talk to him he-…_

It was then the protozoan noted the horribly lost expression on Lloyd's face.

_…Oh…you…don't know about that yet? Eheh….whoops. Forget I said that. Anyway-_

"You're telling me you were alive back then- Dad was alive back then- and Yuan and you guys traveled with Mithos the Hero and Martel?" he said slowly, not believing the words even as he said them.

_Nope. You didn't know. Crap. I'd figured Kratos or maybe Yuan would tell you. Since you're working for Mithos now and all I thought you'd know the story-_

"Working for Mithos? I'm working for-" he cut off.

There was a prolonged silence in which Lloyd stared dumbly at the protozoan.

"…You're telling me Yggdrasill is Mithos the Hero?"

Noishe gave a hesitant nod.

"…"

Lloyd slowly sat down, holding his head in one hand as he tried to take in the facts that had been quite unceremoniously dumped on him. His 'dog' wasn't a dog, he could talk (a lot), Yggdrasill was Mithos and his father and Yuan were over four-thousand years old. Of course, most of this made very little sense, but as soon as he could speak again he was getting all the answers he wanted. After a moment he sighed deeply and looked at Noishe.

…_I have some explaining to do, don't I?_

"You'd better start," he said with a loud sigh after nodding his head.

_Me and my big mouth._

**Ah, Noishey, you are so much fun to write. n.n Can't blame him for being talkative, it's not like he gets many opportunities to speak to someone. Now, if you'll excuse me I have some business to take care of. (snuggles laptop)**

**Colette: Is that your new laptop you got for college? O.o**

**Me: My precciioouuuusssss…..**

**Colette: Oh… guess so. n.n' Freakyanimegal owns nothing!**

**Me: (Is rubbing face against screen) Feel the smooth surface! It's wondrous! 8D SKlee!!!**

**Colette: O.o' Um…review?**


	19. Chapter 19

**An update! Sklee! n.n**

**Colette: Freakyanimegal owns nothing! n.n **

**Me: Sorry it took a while, the ending gave me some trouble…**

Lloyd sat down, staring out into space as Noishe fidgeted in front of him, glancing around as his ears twitched to reveal his discomfort. Sure, he knew Lloyd would probably have a bit of a hard time soaking it all in, but…aw man, why couldn't he have kept quiet? After a minute, Lloyd took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he got to his feet.

"Okay, so…so that's it then? Dad's over four-thousand years old, Martel is Yggdrasill's sister, and Yggdrasill is actually Mithos the Hero?" he repeated.

Noishe nodded.

"Why is it I'm just learning this now?" he groaned, putting a hand to his head.

_Well, I'm sure Kratos would've told you eventually- well, okay, maybe not. He tends to keep things to himself, and I bet he would've been way too uneasy telling you all of that. After all, he probably didn't even tell you he was your father, am I right? You probably had someone tell you, or you figured it out on your ow- no, someone probably told you._

"Thanks a lot, Noishe," Lloyd said bitterly, glaring at the protozoan.

_Sorry. So um…what are you going to do now?_

"I'm going back to Welgaia to talk to Dad," he said, dusting himself off.

_What?! You're just going to leave me!? _

"I have to, Noishe, it's not like I can take you with me-"

_But you can't leave me with them again! I've been going insane! The only one who will scratch behind my ear is Colette and you know how she gets around 'dogs'! It's horrifying! And no one will feed me scraps except if Raine makes something! I've been starving!!_

"Noishe, they wouldn't starve you," he scoffed.

_Well…okay, yeah, they feed me…but still! Sometimes I have to eat Raine's cooking!_

"You'll live, Noishe," Lloyd said, "but I've gotta go, okay? I'll see if I can check in with you the next time I come down from Derris-Kharlan."

_But-!_

"That and...it would make me feel better if you could watch them for me," he admitted, glancing aside as he bit his lip.

Noishe was quiet for a moment before he let out a soft whine, recognizing the angel's feelings.

_Oh….hmph, fine then. Go ahead, leave me. I'll just suffer in silence-_

"Silence?" Lloyd snorted.

_You know, you're a lot more sarcastic than you used to be._

"All right, I'm sorry," Lloyd sighed, rubbing his head, "but I'm still going to go, okay?"

With this he took out his rheaird, boarding the machine as Noishe whined loudly.

_But I don't WANNA be left alone with them again!_

"_Bye _Noishe," Lloyd said a final time, flying off toward the Tower of Salvation.

He was out of range of the protozoan in a matter of seconds, luckily for him because the 'dog' was griping about his young companion in a rather inappropriate way at this point.

* * *

"Dad?" Lloyd called, walking into their dwelling. "Dad, I'm back! Where are you?"

There was no answer and the male sighed, walking in and plopping down on the couch. Great, just great, he was off somewhere again. A bit of hair fell into his eyes and he pulled it away, absentmindedly turning it around his finger as he fell into his thoughts. It was still hard to believe all that Noishe told him- and it was hard to believe Noishe could tell him anything in the first place.

"Great, now what do I do?" he huffed, letting out a puff of air to embody his frustration.

So his father really was that old? He didn't know how old exactly Yggdrassill meant when he said he was old enough to be his grandfather, but he didn't think he'd be _that _old….geez! To think, his father was old enough to be in a history book-

He froze.

Didn't Welgaia have a library? A very large, very old library? With very old texts?

Lloyd was out on the streets before he realized he was doing it, unfolding his wings and taking off into the sky was a satisfying barrage of flapping. Okay, now if he could just find it… He knew it was somewhere in this area, due to the little tours his father would take him on…

"Hm, for once in my life I _want_ to go to the library and can't find it," he huffed again.

He stopped and hovered in one spot, looking around the city from the sky to attempt to locate any area that looked familiar. Not there…ah-! No, that wasn't it… Where could it-?

The teen caught sight of the large, dark blue and domed building.

"Bingo," he smirked, taking off for it.

Lloyd landed before the entrance and dismissed his wings, walking forward toward the large double-doors in haste even though he wasn't quite sure what he was looking for in the first place. After pushing the heavy, carved stone doors open, he entered the complex and felt his jaw drop.

This place was huge! The ceiling was as tall as the lobby of the Tower of Mana and hundreds upon hundreds of towering bookcases were lined in rows across the floor.

"Great…where do I start looking?" he groaned, rubbing the back of his neck.

Well….non-fiction, right? That could be a start, he was looking toward more historical works to being with…

"The 'Olfe Uprising'?" he raised an eyebrow at the title of the first he pulled. "Uh…I don't think so."

He set it on the ground and pulled out another, frowning at the title on that one as well. The Ophan lost track of how long he stayed in there pulling out books, not satiated with each and every one he looked at. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for, but he knew that if he saw it, he'd know it.

Then one such work appeared.

He had been using his wings to fly along the top shelves, pulling an especially old looking book from the corner of the bookcase he had been looking at. Splayed across the cover was an intricate coat of arms, the title itself faded.

"Well this looks promising," he tilted his head to the side, opening up to cover.

He scanned the first few pages.

"Ah, it's just a bunch of family trees-" he huffed.

Then he froze when he recognized a name.

"'Kratos Aurion'?" he repeated, staring at it. "Wait, what is this-?"

He looked on the inside of the cover where the words had been rewritten that were originally the title:Traditions, History and Geneology of the Aurion Knights

Lloyd froze- even his wings did for a second, before he almost fell and hastily flapped to get airborne again. After doing so, he held the book securely and then flew off toward a few tables in between the colossal cases, sitting himself down there and opening the book up before him.

_Basic History:_

_The Aurion Knights were a proud line of soldiers in the service of the royalty of Tethe'alla, and had been since centuries before the Kharlan War came about. Greatly feared and respected for their prowess in all forms of warfare, arts, sciences, magic, and even magitechnology, they became a substantial force during the Great War. Their somewhat unearthly qualities had birthed rumors that consisted for over a thousand years that they were descended of angels-_

Lloyd stopped reading.

"What…?" he said, his eyes widening somewhat.

Descended of…? Is that where Cruxis got the whole idea of saying the 'Chosen' were descended from angels? Well- Wait! Cruxis didn't exist back then, right? So where were they getting this idea…? Rumors; the book said rumors. All right, it was just a really awkward coincidence…

_-and were the first known beings to undergo the angelic transformation brought about by a Hi-Exsphere-_

He stopped again.

"What?" he said again, this time his eyes widening all the way. "A Cruxis Crystal-?"

"Wow, I have to admit I never imagined finding you in a library…"

The brunette flinched and whirled his head around, Yuan standing there with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised, looking down at the teenager with a rather amused look.

"Y- Yuan-!" he stammered, a horrible feeling that he had gotten caught sinking in.

"You found it, hm?" Yuan's eyes narrowed on the book. "Of all the books you could've decided to start poking around, you chose that one?"

"I- I was just…" Lloyd sighed, glancing away from the elder male.

"You were curious, that's understandable," Yuan said as he closed his eyes, crossing his arms, "so…I take it you found out about how old we are, huh?"

Lloyd bit his lip and nodded.

"Well, you were going to find out eventually," the half-elf rolled his eyes, "so, how much have you found out from this book?"

"Huh-? Uh…just that Dad was from a family of knights and they were the first to use Cruxis Crystals," he said.

"I see, and?"

Lloyd raised an eyebrow at his godfather's expression, unsure of what exactly it was.

"Uh…nothing, there's just that one legend-"

"That they were descended from angels? I see," Yuan stated, pulling up a seat beside him, "so you haven't found the really juicy tidbit yet, then?"

Judging by the look on Lloyd's face, Yuan assumed he hadn't. With a slight smirk he pulled the book from Lloyd and flipped through a few pages, stopping on the family tree. Turning the book to Lloyd again he pointed out Kratos' name.

"Your grandfather was head of the knights," he said, pointing to the name before Kratos', "his wife, however, was one 'Miralien Tethe'alla', the king's younger sister."

"W- What-?" Lloyd stared, his mouth falling open somewhat. "So-?"

"So your father is- well, was- the heir to the Duchy," Yuan said, "if this system still existed, he would be considered a Duke, but the Tethe'allan Monarchy now is pretty much unrelated to the orignal royal family. The royals now are descended from the family who took the throne after the Kharlan War. Thinking about it, though…you and Kratos technically are the sole remaining members of the original Royal Family. So I guess that'd make you a prince. You know, if this was still in effect."

The teen stared at him, not quite able to think of something to say.

"Guess you lucked out, huh?" Yuan smirked. "I can't say I could see you being happy if you had to live a lifestyle like some stuck-up noble."

"Oh, of course not," Lloyd spat, a hint of malice in his voice, "I'd much rather be a high-ranking angel in an organization that controls the entire world."

"Was that…?" the half-elf stared, then threw back his head and laughed. "You're getting sarcastic with me? Oh, that's priceless; touché."

"By the way, do you know where Dad is?" Lloyd asked, tilting his head to the side. "He wasn't at home, so I was kinda wondering where he went." Yuan abruptly fell silent. This, of course, did nothing to reassure Lloyd in the least. "…What happened?" Lloyd asked after a moment, eyes locked on his godfather. "Where is he? Is he all right-?"

"He will be," Yuan cut him off, not looking at him, "for right now, I can't say for sure, but he'll be okay."

"Where is he?" the teen asked again, getting to his feet. "Where's my dad?"

"He's speaking with Yggdrasill," Yuan explained, "he's been in a bad mood lately, and Kratos just went to request something of him. He gets irritable when asked anything anyway, and he has quite a temper…" The color drained from Lloyd's face and Yuan quickly added onto the thought. "That doesn't mean he'll get hurt," he stated, "we've talked to him in worse moods before. Just stay out of it; if you go in and say something stupid the both of you will get hurt."

"But…" his face fell, biting his lip.

"So, that aside," Yuan narrowed his eyes on Lloyd, "it'd help a lot if nothing happened that could stop the group from making pacts."

"W- What?" Lloyd looked up at him.

"Just saying," Yuan said nonchalantly, getting up, "well then, I'll be seeing you, Lloyd."

The teen watched him leave with mixed feelings before the Seraph was out of sight, Lloyd sighing and running his fingers through his hair. Deciding he'd spent enough time here, he took the book and set it under his arm, flying back toward his house. After re-entering the building the first thing he did was hide the book in his room. He was still rather interested in it, after all, seeing as it was a key to information about his father. No sooner had he done that he heard the door open from downstairs, and he hastily made his way down.

"Dad?" he asked, turning into the entry hall.

Indeed, Kratos had entered and looked up at the sound of his son's voice, a weak smile on his face as he entered.

"Ah, Lloyd, how did your…outing, go?" he asked.

"That-? Uh…er, it went fine!" he replied. "Where have you been? I heard you went to talk to Y- Lord Yggdrasill."

"I did," Kratos said simply.

"Er…okay…so…?" the brunette motioned for his father to continue. "What happened?"

"I had to request a rather valuable material from the storehouses," he explained, "Since it is so rare, we are not permitted to take it without Lord Yggdrasill's explicit permission."

"Oh, really?" Lloyd asked, generally interested at this point. "What is it?"

Kratos motioned for Lloyd to follow him and they walked into the den, Lloyd looking at his father with remote interest as the Seraph set a lamp to shine directly on a chair, forming a shadow behind it. With this, the Seraph took what appeared to be a glowing ebon orb from his pack, proceeding to approach the chair.

"Huh? What is-?" Lloyd started.

"Vesper," he stated, "observe what it does."

Kratos held the orb in the shadow of the chair and then proceeded to yank the sphere back out, startling Lloyd at the sudden motion- and then even more when he realized what it had done.

"W- Woah-!"

Half the shadow was…gone, just gone. Where a dark shape should be was just plain flooring, as if light was shining on it regardless of the block. On the other hand, the half of the shadow that should have been there was now in the center of the floor, where nothing was to block the light.

"Th- That's-!" Lloyd stared, amazed.

"This ore allows you to manipulate and tear apart shadows," he explained.

"W- Well, that's really cool and all, but why do you need it?"

Kratos set the shadow back together and then pocketed the orb.

"We need it," he said, "because we're going to pay a visit to the Shadow Temple."

**A tad short, for that, I apologize, but updates should be more frequent from here on seeing as I'm working on a set plot again XD **

**Colette: Review? o.O**


	20. Chapter 20

**ARGH! (bashes head) Caclulus…(shudder) Why?! So evil…T.T…**

**Colette: Huh?**

**Me: (shudders more)**

**Colette: Um… Freakyanimegal owns nothing…**

**Me: LIMITS! NOOOOO! (fetal position) I hated that word even before this class…!**

"I can barely see a thing," Lloyd commented, looking around as they entered the temple.

"Be thankful," Kratos stated simply, "without your angelic senses you wouldn't be able to see at all."

"So…what exactly are we going to be doing here?" the teen asked, looking around.

"The Summon Spirit Shadow resides here," Kratos explained, fiddling with something in his pack, "your friends will no doubt come here in order to make a pact with him."

"Okay…so why are we-?" Lloyd started.

He was cut off when the elder male pulled out a candle with a blue flame out of his pack, the darkness seeming to creep back to the extent it almost seemed like the light on a cloudy day. Lloyd flinched and shook his head, attempting to get used to the sudden light.

"This is a blue candle," Kratos explained, "it makes it easier to see. To answer your question, Lloyd, we are here to…well, impede their progress."

The teen's eyes widened and the man cut him off.

"Don't worry, Lloyd, we won't see them at all," he said, "We're just going to slow them down. Do you remember the vesper I showed you earlier?"

"That weird orb thing? Yeah, what about it?" Lloyd tilted his head to the side.

"We're going to use it to tear apart Shadow," he explained calmly.

Lloyd stared at him.

"…What?" he said after a minute.

"You'll see," Kratos stated, walking in, "keep up. I don't want you to get lost in a place such as this."

Lloyd followed after his father, trying to keep his expression casual as he thought this situation over. Is this what Yuan meant? He didn't want anything to slow down making the pacts…but why? Now that he thought about it, he wasn't quite sure why Genis and the others were making the pacts to begin with.

"Dad?" he spoke up.

"What is it?" Kratos asked, looking at him over his shoulder.

"Why are they making the pacts anyway?"

"They are under the impression that by making all the pacts the worlds will split apart," his father recited simply.

"…Is that what will happen?" Lloyd asked slowly, half hopeful and half worried.

"We do not know," he admitted, "which is why they must be slowed, at the very least. It is not wise to meddle in things when you do not know their outcomes. Especially something of this magnitude. Making all the pacts could end up causing something that cannot be undone."

"Something bad?" Lloyd asked.

"Perhaps," Kratos nodded, "it would be best not to take chances, at least not until we know for sure what the outcome will be."

"How are we going to know that?" he wondered.

"The Core-System is working on it now," Kratos explained, "however, it is a rather time consuming process. We will not know for a while."

His father had a point, he knew that, but he couldn't help but wonder about what Yuan had said. Did Yuan know for sure what would happen? As it was right now, he was going directly against what the Seraph had 'requested' of him, and that would be bad for his friends, wouldn't it? Still, what if something bad really could happen? Slowing them down wouldn't hurt them or anything…so- so yeah, it was probably best to do this. Just until they were sure.

"It's so dark in here…" Lloyd muttered, looking around.

"Don't let your guard down," Kratos stated, "There are many silent monsters that dwell in this structure, if you don't pay attention it could cost you."

"Huh-? Uh, yeah, sorry," Lloyd nodded, "so how far away are we from Shadow?"

"He's on the bottom floor," Kratos explained, "It will take us a fair bit of walking to get there."

"So why walk?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow.

"No," Kratos said, "our wings would attract far too much attention in this darkness; monsters would be on us in an instant."

"Please, like we can't handle some monsters," Lloyd huffed, rolling his eyes.

"That may be so, Lloyd," he stated, "but it is not wise to get into unnecessary battles."

"Okay, okay…" the teen sighed.

They were silent for most of the way down there, occasionally having to fight off a few of the undead monsters here and there on the way. When they finally did reach the bottom floor, Lloyd frowned at the sight of the altar.

"Uh…so how exactly do we get Shadow to come out?" he asked. "When we made the pact with Undine, she was 'awakened' or something, right? We don't have a summoner with us either, so-?"

Kratos walked forward until he was before the altar, stopping at its front. There was a rumbling followed by a quick spurt of mana as Shadow emerged, moving in a shifting, eerie motion.

_What…want…?_

Lloyd felt a shiver go down his spine at the 'sound' of the voice as his father merely pulled the vesper out of his pack. Shadow withdrew as Kratos held the orb out, the spirit freezing in its movement.

"I apologize for this," he stated simply, "but I assure you it won't hurt at all."

There was no time for a reply. Before Lloyd could move Shadow was gone and nothing remained in his place but five little…blobs. Little jiggling blobs of darkness that whirled around in no real direction, as if lost.

"Woah-!" Lloyd gasped. "Wow…that's…"

One blob ran right into his legs, jerking back and then took to running around in circles around the young angel.

"Weird," Lloyd grinned, "Though it's kinda funny…they're cute, almost."

"We need to hide them around the temple," Kratos told his son, picking up one of the 'blobs', "if they all meet back down here, Shadow will reform. In the meantime, we must keep them apart."

"We're hiding them…? Neat," Lloyd grinned again, picking up another one, "it's like a game!"

"…" Kratos only looked at his son.

"Uh….that is…" the boy's grin fell, glancing side to side sheepishly, "S- Stop looking at me like that!"

So the duo went about tucking the pieces of Shadow away in the temple. Once Kratos was satisfied they had done well with the first four, they went on to hiding the fifth-

"W- Wait," Lloyd said, holding the last piece, "can we…not, hide this one?"

"Why do you ask that?" Kratos asked, tilting his head to the side.

"W- Well…" he trailed, looking away.

Truthfully, he wanted to keep at least one in plain sight for his companions. He didn't want them to be stopped from making the pacts, after all…would it hurt so bad to give them a starting point? The dungeon was very dark after all.

"…Do what you will, Lloyden," Kratos stated, turning toward the exit, "I'll meet you outside. Be careful."

"Wh-? Uh, yes," he nodded, "thank you, Dad."

Kratos left the teen and he positioned the last blob by the first light in the temple, thinking that that would be enough of a give-a-way for his companions to figure it out. Once he was content with his choice he went to leave-

And then came face to face with a very large, very unfriendly looking sphinx.

"Oh sh-!"

He barely managed to move out of the way when the monster made a snap at him, catching out of the corner of his eye something even more unpleasant. Apparently, these monsters traveled in packs, judging by the group of smaller creatures clambering after him. Deciding that he didn't want to become part of the food chain, he turned and ran back deeper into the temple, his angelic speed coming in graciously as he fled. He managed to lose the pack through sheer luck, having barely managed to find a hole in the wall to slip in as the monsters ran past and around one of the corners. Once they were out of sight he took no time at all to dash back out and make a beeline for the exit, cursing his luck. So it was that he arrived back where he had started, panting somewhat as he leaned against the wall.

"Oh man…" he gasped, clutching his chest, "That was more exercise than I wanted…"

"Lloyd?!"

He stopped.

"Don't tell me-" he looked up.

Genis and the others were staring at him.

Lloyd stared back.

"Lloyd? What're you-?" Colette started.

Oh frick this.

Lloyd unfurled his wings and shot into the air, out of their reach but where he could still manage to see them, still attempting to catch his breath. His wings gave the darkness a low green-blue glow, marking him quite obviously in the dark 'sky' of sorts.

"Lloyd, wait!" Colette unfurled her own.

Raine grabbed the girl's arm and held her down, glaring up at her brown-haired pupil.

"Now Lloyd, what exactly are you doing here?" she asked, obviously suspicious.

Well, she did have every right to be, after all…

"I… I don't have to answer you," he replied, glaring back, "I-"

His eyes widened, remembering what his father had said about having wings out. He himself was fine, yes, being in the air, but Colette was on the ground with her wings out, and a mess of monsters were swarming up behind the group. Lloyd hastily casted Angel Feathers, the group somewhat alarmed at his actions, thinking he was attacking them, but looked behind them as the spell shot over their heads and struck one of the oncoming monsters. Luckily, they took the hint, all of them readying their weapons at the oncoming horde. Growling a bit to himself, Lloyd swooped down and joined them on the ground, dismissing his wings and drawing his swords.

"Dad is gonna kill me," he muttered as he took a stance, "Here they come!"

The battle took relatively moderate effort, as Presea reported, that 'Eighty-percent output should be sufficient'. So yes, they were a bit tired after the battle had ended, though they were not exhausted or seriously injured. Lloyd sighed in relief and sheathed his swords as the last monster fell, turning to look at them with a tired expression.

"Colette, try to keep your wings in when you're here," he sighed, rubbing his temple, "Or at least be in the air if you need to have them out…the monsters kind of notice."

"Oh, okay," she smiled warmly, dismissing her wings, "Thanks, Lloyd!"

"…" Lloyd blinked, slightly put off at how casual she was being.

"Well…now that that's over, what _are_ you doing here?" Genis asked, glaring up at his friend.

"…Leaving," he said, turning toward the exit, "Dad's probably worried about me by now…"

"They both are, probably," Raine said curtly.

Lloyd froze in his tracks.

"Raine…!" Genis said, half-shocked and half-angered.

Dirk…his 'other' dad. Truthfully speaking…he hadn't thought much about him for a while. The brunette bit his lip slowly, his eyes misting over. With all this happening…he hadn't even given his adoptive father a thought. A sudden surge of guilt overtook him. How could he have simply forgotten about the man who had raised him? What kind of son was he, to do something like-?

…Wait…was he….even his 'son', anymore? Wasn't Lloyd Irving his son? Hadn't he renounced that identity? So…had he renounced his father too? Is that what he had done? Had he sacrificed one father for the other?

"Lloyd? Are you okay-?" Genis started.

Lloyd simply left without another word. The angel walked out of sight and then broke into a run, dashing out of the temple as fast as his legs would carry him. With a blinding light he found himself back outside, the sun almost burning his eyes after having been in the dark for so very long.

"There you are," Kratos frowned, appearing from seemingly nowhere, "I saw the group go in….you didn't have any trouble with them, did you?"

"N…No," Lloyd shook his head, "I saw them, but I didn't."

"…" Kratos closed his eyes, "Very well then. I must admit I was a tad concerned- Lloyd? Are you all right?"

"Y- Yeah," the boy said, glancing away , "I'm fine Da…."

His voice cracked on that word, finding himself unable to finish it. Kratos noted this, obviously, and frowned deeply, examining his son.

"Did I…do something to upset you, Lloyd?" he asked softly.

"W- What? N- No, it's not you," Lloyd shook his head, "I- I was just thinking about-"

"Dirk," Kratos finished, his eyes misting somewhat.

Lloyd flinched.

"I…I- It's just-"

"You miss him," Kratos said simply.

"I- It's not that I- I love you too, Dad! You're my father!" Lloyd cried, frantically shaking his head. "It's just- I mean- I'm your son! I'm Lloyd Aurion! So- So I just- I don't- Does that mean that since I'm not Lloyd Irving anymore that I'm saying I'm not his son anymore?! I mean, I'm not- I am- but- no- I-"

"Whoever you are or decide to be, Lloyd, the people you care about that cared for you are still important," he said quietly, looking at his son, "No matter who you say you are or what you do, the people in your past still existed, and still live within you. Dirk…is your father too."

That last sentence was difficult, difficult for Lloyd to hear because he knew how difficult it was for Kratos to say it. Lloyd could only stare at him for a few minutes before he bit his lip, and then gritted his teeth, trying to force back the tears that were welling up in his eyes. After a few seconds Kratos spoke again, hesitantly.

"If you'd like, you can visit him," he said.

Visit him? Visit…then what? Tell him everything? Tell him about the worlds, about Cruxis, about how he had become one of them, how he had found another 'father' whom was in that organization as well, how he had left his friends, how he was serving the evils of their worlds? No…how…how could he even face him, now? How could he face the man who had raised him, that had taught him right-from-wrong, when he was doing something that was so obviously wrong?

"He…he'll hate me," Lloyd whispered under his breath.

"I highly doubt that," Kratos stated curtly, "If he truly is…your father, he will not hate you. He could never hate you, no matter what you do. I can understand how you might think that, Lloyd, and…and I'm deeply sorry I got you into this, but-"

"N- No, it's not your fault," Lloyd shook his head, "You didn't get me into this…Lor- Yggdrasill got me into this; he's the one that landed me here…"

"…" Kratos sighed softly, "Lloyd…you're not a bad person, if that is what you are thinking."

"But I-!"

"Lloyd, I am a bad person," he continued sternly, "My sins are numerous, you…you didn't ask to be caught up in this, and even now I am certain you are still wishing for the best for the worlds; however…it's a bit more complicated now, is all. I am certain…I am certain that you will find the right path for yourself."

Lloyd looked up at him, his eyes widened somewhat as the man looked back at him. The teen's eyes began to water again and he swallowed nervously, looking away from his father and wiping his eyes violently.

"I…I.." he took a deep breath, "Thank you, Dad…"

"Now then, if you wish, we can go to Sylvarant for a few hours to let you see-"

"No," Lloyd shook his head, "I- Not yet. I'll go back and see him, but…but I'll go back and see him when I…when I find that 'right path', okay? I'll see him when…when I can stand myself again."

"…Very well," Kratos sighed softly, "Let us be off."

So they did so, boarding their rheairds and heading back to the Tower of Salvation, back to Derris-Kharlan. That cold, lifeless…ugh, it was kind of…peaceful, at times, he could admit, but that feeling lasted only so long before he became all too aware of how lonely it was. It was a stark contrast the woods, to the log-made house with plants creeping in everywhere, with the sun blazing annoyingly bright in the mornings…fssh, he'd never thought he'd miss it. Though he knew he'd miss the short, bulky man that guffawed loudly when amused, that- though strict- cared for him as much as a real father would. Briefly he remembered what he had told Colette and felt like a hypocrite again; 'You just have two fathers, think of yourself as being lucky for having more than most people'. Here he was getting all upset and confused about this when he had so calmly told her something like that… He- he had to start following his own advice. He always did that, in a way that made him just like Colette, he'd always try to help people but couldn't ever seem to help himself out. He had to stop that, he knew, if not for his own sake then for the sake of the people he tried to help. Looking up at Kratos flying several feet ahead, he smiled a bit. Kratos did care about him…and so did Dirk; they were both his dads. So…so he was lucky, after all, at least in that respect. Then something else came to mind..

"Hey, Dad," he spoke up.

"What is it, Lloyd?" Kratos looked back at him.

"Do you think Shadow's gonna be pissed at us?"

"…"

"Well?"

"Let's just hope Sheena never summons him on us."

Lloyd laughed.

**HARK! IT TIS AN UPDATE! :D Sorry if there're some errors, I really wanted to get this up and my beta was busy so I didn't want to bug him n.n' **

**Colette: Review? (blink)**


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay, chapter twenty-one. I lost the first draft I made of this so…yeah, let's try this again. n.n'**

**Colette: Um…okay, Freakyanimegal owns nothing?**

**Me: Enjoy. n.n'**

"All right, so what are we going to do?"

Lloyd was a bit panicked, though that was understandable based on what his father had just told him. No sooner after they had gotten back from manipulating Shadow, they had returned to Welgaia and Kratos had showed Lloyd something quite interesting. The Derris-Core system, which was effectively a giant computerized room, under the castle that Yggdrasil claimed as his headquarters. It was a large, white room, with many wires and beeping lights crawling up the sides of the walls, on the ceiling and down into a large sphere of sorts. Upon touching the sphere a screen popped up in thin air, a touch-screen much like the ones Lloyd had seen in Welgaia, but obviously far more advanced. At the time Kratos showed his son this, he was also viewing the data read out from the system…

"_Woah, so this is the core-system thing?" Lloyd asked, frowning._

"_Correct, it shall tell us what happens should your friends finish breaking the links," Kratos explained simply, not taking his eyes away from his current task._

"_We can really do that? With this thing?" Lloyd asked, somewhat awed._

"_Yes," Kratos nodded, "As I told you, it is time consuming…we should know in a day or two."_

"_A whole day?" Lloyd groaned. _

"_Lloyd…" Kratos said warningly, eying his son._

"_I- All right, I'm sorry," he sighed, "but…"_

"_I understand you are concerned, but you must wait."_

Well, waiting was over.

"We're going to have to stop them," Kratos said simply, frowning a bit, "We can't allow them to break the final mana link."

"So…so the Tower of Mana is the last place, right? We're going to have to stop them there, then?" Lloyd asked, obviously a little worked up. "We need to hurry! They could already be there for all we know-!"

"Lloyd, calm down," Kratos said, glaring slightly, "We will proceed swiftly, but it will do you no good to panic. You will only exhaust yourself. Let's go."

"Y- Yeah," Lloyd nodded.

"Change into your old clothes," he said.

"Wh-?" the teen frowned, a bit put off.

"You fight better in those since they are more functional and less decorative," he stated, "If it comes to it we will have to stop them by force, I do not want you to be impeded in any way."

"But you said we need to hurry-!" he started.

"Exactly, so hurry and do so and then met me at the main transporder, _now_."

Lloyd didn't try to argue anymore, just turned and dashed for his quarters. His heart was pounding in his ears, he couldn't believe this! If they broke the last mana link then…the tree would destroy the world! He couldn't let that happen! But…but he still didn't want to fight them, especially all out like his father was suggesting. Though if it came to that...if it came to that, that his friends wouldn't listen to him, he would have to stop them. How far did that mean he had to go, then? What if things got really out of hand and…? No. No time to worry about that, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. Right now he had to move.

Nevertheless, his head was full of these various doubts and worries as he and Kratos flew down to the planet, sweeping over the lands of Sylvarant as the Tower of Mana came ever closer into sight. Lloyd wanted nothing more than to land and run in all the way to the top, to make sure his friends either were not there or to stop them if they were. Unfortunately, someone else was already at the bottom. Lloyd gasped as a bit as Yuan noted them, his eyes widening a bit before he snarled, turning to face the Aurions.

"Now what are you doing here, hm, Kratos?" he asked smoothly, his eyes narrowed.

"Same could be said for you," Kratos said simply, "But we don't have time for this, get out of our way."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," smirked Yuan, "your son's friends have already went inside."

"What-? No-!" Lloyd started, taking a step forward only to be cut off by his father's arm.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Lloyd?" Yuan said, his smirk gone. "I was under the impression you still wanted to save the worlds."

"I- I do, but-!" he started.

"Then why are you trying to stop this?" Yuan hissed, his eyes narrowed. "You don't have the guts to go against your father again? Or is it that Yggdrasill has finally wrapped you around his finger?"

Lloyd let out a short gasp, trying to stammer out a response.

"N- Of course n-!" he began.

"We don't have time for this," Kratos snapped, "Yuan, either get out of our way or I'll remove you."

"Cruxis' dogs until the end, fine," he snapped.

The half-elf flung off his cloak and took a battle stance, his dual-bladed weapon forming from mana and light in his hands. It was obvious to both of them that the half-elf was serious, very serious, and he had no problem cutting down both father and son if that was what was necessary to achieve his goals. Kratos snorted and drew his own blade.

"Lloyd, I'll take care of him, go after your friends and try to convince them not to make the pact," he said.

"B- But what if they don't listen-?" Lloyd started.

"Then do what you must do," he said simply.

With nothing other than that, the Seraph charged his former comrade, the two angels making contact with their weapons, sparks flying from the conflicting steel. Lloyd froze for a second or two, his eyes wide as he watched the flurry of metal and spells that came from the two locked in battle. It was truly both a terrifying and beautiful thing to see, like a dance of death. He snapped himself out of it a second later and made a break for the door, knowing that he had to stop his friends from effectively destroying the world.

"Don't even try it, Lloyd!" snapped Yuan, hurling lightning at the boy.

Kratos took up the space in front of the spell and deflected it with a well placed 'Guardian', the green mana repelling the strong electricity.

"Go, Lloyd!" the man snapped just before countering his old friend.

The teen dashed into the building, making a beeline for the stairway directly ahead of him that was the shortest route. As he raced up the stairs, he avoided every monster he could lay eyes on and was in the upper part sooner than he realized. Flicks of memories dashed through his panicked mind with almost every step. Times spent here, releasing the seal, Colette's suffering, the other seals, the other moments he had spent with his friends in the only real home he had ever known. It was funny how it was he saw this place as home now- not the Tower of Mana, of course, but…Sylvarant in general. This world he had grown up on was his home. It felt so much more comfortable, so much more inviting and natural than the cold streets of Welgaia…

The portal to the altar came in sight, and his heart almost stopped beating when he saw that his friends were nearly there.

"Oh come on-!" he snarled.

He shot out his wings and swiftly performed a jumping-flying action, shooting above their heads and then landing before them, panting and red-faced.

"L- Lloyd?!" Genis gasped.

"What are you doing here?" Sheena blinked.

"G…Guys, look," he took several deep breathes, trying to reclaim some oxygen for his brain, "I know you guys still don't really trust me, but you gotta listen to me! You can't make the final pact!"

"Oh? And why do you say that?" Raine asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Because something bad is going to happen!" Lloyd said, glaring at her a bit. "If you break the last link, the protection of the seed will be lost and-"

"And then the worlds won't be connected anymore!" Genis interrupted, frowning. "Lloyd, that's a good thing! We need to do this-…unless you…why are you trying to stop us? You don't really…you haven't really stopped thinking it's right to do this, have you?"

"What…? N- No!" Lloyd shook his head. "That's not it at all! It's just that a lot of people will- the whole world- both worlds, will be in so much trouble if you do this!"

"Oh? And who said?" snorted Raine. "Kratos, I'm assuming?"

"Well, yes, but-" the teen started.

"Lloyd, we know he's your dad and all, but…how do you know he's not just telling you that?" Sheena asked. "He…well, he is in Cruxis and everything."

"Because he wouldn't lie about something like this-!"

"Just like he didn't lie about being an angel and about Cruxis?" Genis said flatly, glancing away from his friend.

"…That's…" he trailed, frowning a bit.

"Lloyd, look…you know Cruxis is wrong, don't you?" Genis asked, looking back at his friend with an almost pleading look in his eyes. "I know it's hard for you, but..but this is enough! Come back with us! Help us make the pact and we'll save the worlds- and we'll save you and Kratos too! You won't have to work for them anymore!"

For a split second, Lloyd found himself considering it. What if…what if Kratos was wrong? What if it did work? What if Yuan knew something they didn't, and this actually was the way to do it? It could all be over then, couldn't it? He and his father could leave Cruxis, they could work with his friends and Yuan to defeat Yggdrasill…and then everything would be okay, wouldn't it? But…but what if Kratos was right? What if it-…no, he couldn't take that chance. He had to stop them from making the pact, at least until they were completely sure.

"Please, just listen to me," he sighed, his voice weak, "If you do this, people will die."

"How?" Colette frowned. "Lloyd, tell us, I'm sure you have a good reason, so just tell us."

"How do we know whether he's telling the truth, though?" Raine said a bit icily. "For all we know, Cruxis could be using Kratos to blackmail him, just like they did the other time."

"It's not that, though-!" Lloyd started, getting more and more frustrated.

"Or he could actually be Kratos," Sheena pointed out, "They did that mana transfer thing the first time, Yggdrasill could've forced him into it like he did on the mountain."

"I'm me, dammit!" Lloyd shouted, shaking his head. "Please, listen to me-!"

"I'm sorry, Lloyd," Genis frowned, "We need to do this…"

"But-!"

"Shadow!"

Lloyd gasped and jumped aside just as a wall of dark mana rushed toward him, the Spirit of Darkness having heard his summoner's call and arrived upon the scene.

"Take care of him, Shadow! …Just don't kill him, okay?" said the ninja.

"Wait-! Hold on-!" Lloyd tried to stop them a final time as they dashed for the transporder.

Shadow intercepted him, and though it didn't really have true facial expressions, Lloyd got the feeling it was glaring at him in a pretty pissed off way.

"I'm sorry, Lloyd!" Colette bowed briefly before zooming through the portal.

That didn't make him feel too better, incidentally.

"…Die…" Shadow hissed.

Lloyd barely dodged as the spirit let out another burst of dark mana, damaging the floor beneath them. Lloyd growled a bit, unsheathing his swords.

"Look, I'm sorry about last time, but I don't have time for this!" he shouted, charging at the spirit with his wings poised behind him.

He slashed his sword but the creature caught the blade in its large hand, retaliating by slamming Lloyd in the gut with its other claw-like hand. Lloyd coughed out saliva and backed up, attempting to compose himself before charging in again, this time trying to focus more on the enemy's movements.

"Beast!"

He hurled the image at Shadow, whom merely was knocked back a few inches before it let out a low word of 'crumble' and Lloyd found himself surrounded by a field of crushing dark mana. Knowing he had only second, he dashed up into the air and then swooped down on his foe, effectively dodging the spell and counter-attacking. This stunned Shadow for just a second or two, which gave the young angel enough time to cast Angel Feathers. Light, of course, being Shadow's weakness, it managed to have a substantial effect on the spirit. It hissed in pain and rounded on Lloyd-

When something happened.

They both stopped. Being sensitive to mana, they felt the change in their surroundings. A…'snap' of sorts, like something that had been in a precarious balance had just crashed into the ground.

"What was that…?" Lloyd whispered, the color slowly bleeding from his face.

Shadow disappeared.

"Huh-? Oh crap…that's probably not good," he frowned.

He sheathed his swords and withdrew his wings, dashing for the portal. Upon arriving, he ran up the remaining stairs- taking care not to step on the broken one- and skidded to a halt just in time to see Luna and Aksa pledging their power to Sheena.

"No-!" he gasped.

"Lloyd-? How did you-? Did you beat Shadow?" Genis blinked.

"Guys, call it off-!"

It was too late, the ground began to shake beneath them.

"W- What's-?!" Colette started.

The mana was going crazy, and bits of the tiles of the roof were beginning to crack and fall off. With one large jolt a root, thick as a tree in itself, sprouted up alongside of the building and thrashed against it, causing the tower to shudder and begin to tilt.

"What's going on-?!" Zelos started.

"Dammit! I told you!" Lloyd shouted. "We need to get off this thing. Now!"

Another root struck the tower and it began to shudder, and they didn't need much else to realize it wouldn't stand much longer. Lloyd and Colette spread their wings on instinct just as the others clambered onto their rheairds, zooming off into the sky and making a shot for the nearest safe spot of ground. Upon landing they all stopped to gape up at the collapsing structure, all eyes wide in horror and a snarl of anger in Lloyd's expression.

Damn it. Damn it damn it…he couldn't stop it…

"Lloyd!"

He'd barely realized his father had arrived, dashing over to him.

"Dad-! I- I'm sorry, I couldn't-!" he began, stammering.

"What happened?" Yuan gasped, shortly behind him. "This…this wasn't supposed to-!"

The ground gave another violent jolt as a root erupted from the ground within viewing distance of them, snapping out of the dirt and demolishing anything on top of it. They all turned and looked in the direction it had come, seeing the huge, grotesque plant sprouting up in the distance.

"Is…is that the Giant Kharlan Tree?" Genis gasped.

"I was afraid this would happen," Kratos said simply.

"Wh- What do you mean?!" Yuan demanded

"Because you released the unstable seed and provided it with mana, it is essentially going out of control, germinating in a twisted form," Kratos explained.

"This is what I was trying to tell you!" Lloyd said, his expression a mix of exhaustion and anger. "I was trying to stop this from happening!"

"No…the mana links we're supposed to keep the Great Seed from growing!" Yuan said, though it was obvious that he had come to the true realization as well.

"That was only part of the job," Kratos explained simply, "It's going to consume everything, the land, the mana…there will be nothing left."

"Is it going crazy like that in Tethe'alla too?" Sheena asked.

"Unlikely, though they probably are experiencing earthquakes and the like," he stated.

"But if Sylvarant dies so will Tethe'alla," Lloyd said, "So we're all in trouble, it'll destroy everything down here!"

"Well, then won't you be safe, being able to skip back to Derris-Kharaln? Hm? The three of you?" Zelos huffed.

Lloyd winced.

"This isn't the time for this," Raine scoffed, "We need to find a way to fix this. Now!"

"We'll cut off the mana supply-" Yuan began.

"That wont' be enough," Kratos glared at his companion.

"Couldn't we use the opposing spirits mana?"

All present turned to stare at Lloyd.

"…What?" Genis blinked.

"Well, since they're opposites- the spirits and all- couldn't we set the mana from Tethe'alla's summon spirits against it, since it was drawn over here by Sylvarant's spirits?"

"…You really do understand all this, don't you?" Raine frowned a bit.

"I tried to tell you," he said a bit curtly, shooting her a light, grudging glare.

"That you did," she sighed, closing her eyes.

"We should have listened to you, Lloyd," Colette frowned, "I'm so sorry…"

"There's no time to be sorry," Genis sighed, "but…will that work?"

"Hm, I see no better option right now, in theory it could work," Kratos nodded slightly.

"But how could we go about doing that?" Sheena asked. "We can't get close to that crazy thing!"

"The mana cannon," Yuan said suddenly.

"Huh-? Oh, yeah!" Lloyd's eyes lit up. "You can channel the mana into the cannon and fire it at the tree, couldn't you? That's perfect!"

It would have been, after all, until one of the Renegades appeared and conveyed to Yuan the status at the Iselia Ranch. It soon became clear that someone would have to head to the ranch to stop the reactor…

"I'll go," Lloyd said.

"What-? But…" Genis started.

"I can't just do nothing, and you and Sheena can handle the cannon!" he scoffed.

"Then I am coming with you, I wouldn't send you in there alone no matter the circumstances," Kratos said in a very 'final' tone.

"…Then…" the half-elf boy said slowly, "I- I'm going too!"

"Genis-!" Raine scoffed, both surprised and alarmed.

"Sheena can go to the cannon, and they'll need more help at the ranch," Genis pointed out, "That and we need to save the captives, it'll take more than two people…b- besides, we wouldn't be able to trust the signal if it came from just them, right?"

With this the silver-head chanced a weak smile at his Cruxian friend, who stared a bit before slowly smiling as well.

"No, so I guess you do have to come," Lloyd smirked lightly.

"Right, I'm not letting you guys out of my sight!"

"We need to hurry," Yuan said, "Time is short."

So it was the race against the clock began to proceed…

**Oh HELL yeah! I just finished all that in one sitting! n.n Hm, this 'challenge' of sorts seems to be doing good for me….I work better under a bit of pressure, go figure :P **

**Colette: Well, don't push yourself too hard! n.n**

**Me: Too nice, Colette, too nice…Review? **


	22. Chapter 22

**I had SUCH a block with this -_- I'm sorry it took so long…**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

"All right, so how are we going to get inside?" Genis frowned, looking up at the iron gates that locked them from the Desian ranch.

"Well I could just jump down from the cliff like I did last time-…or…." Lloyd frowned, his eyes narrowing on the gates, "Let's try this…"

Lloyd narrowed his eyes and focused, his wings spreading out behind him. With a strong flap he kicked off the ground- and then was jerked back down again by the wrist, damn near face planting into the dirt.

"Oof-!"

"If anyone is to do that I shall," Kratos stated, "It will be dangerous for you to enter by yourself."

"Ouch-! Geez, Dad! I-!"

Kratos silenced him with a glare, the teen swallowing nervously and then sighed with a nod, dismissing his wings as his father summoned his own. They watched as the Seraph flew up over the gate, leaving Lloyd momentarily alone with his group.

"Uh…" he fidgeted, nervously glancing over at his companions, "…"

"I apologize for not listening to you, Lloyd," Raine stated simply, closing her eyes.

"Yeah," Genis sighed, "If we did we wouldn't have been in this mess."

Lloyd stared at them a moment, blinking once or twice before he sighed and looked away.

"You had good reason not to trust me, it's fine," he said, frowning a bit, "Right now we just gotta focus on stopping that tree."

"The door's open," Colette said with a slight chirp, noticing the gates opening as Kratos walked toward them.

"All right, let's get a move on then," Genis nodded with a slight look of determination , "We need to shut down that reactor!"

"And save the captives too!" Colette said.

"We won't get anything done at all if we keep standing around here talking," Lloyd said, walking in.

He admitted he sounded curt, but truthfully he just wanted to get a move on. It felt way too awkward to be with them too long, though he knew he shouldn't have just walked off like that anyway. It was just…beginning to bother him, hearing his friends say what would've been the things he had said in this situation, had he not ended up on that desolate comet. They walked into the ranch, feeling that familiar chill that came each time they had entered one of these places. Lloyd's throat constricted, remembering what had happened at the last ranch he had been to. Standing opposite to his friends, telling them he didn't belong with them, their looks of horror, the looks of horror of the people that had been at the ranch he had seen prior, seen them slaving and beaten all while he did nothing…

"Lloyd? Are you okay?"

He turned and looked to his side, where Colette frowned, looking up at him.

"Uh- yes, I am," he nodded, glancing away from her, "S- sorry…."

"You look….upset," she said simply, a frown on her face.

"I'm fine," he lied, "We just need to make sure we stop that tree."

She didn't say anything more, just nodded, biting her lip a bit. They were both upset, it seemed, but Lloyd wasn't sure if it was the tree that was upsetting her of if it was him…but then, maybe it was something else. The thought confused him briefly, wondering what else could be on her mind right now, but they had a job to do, he'd ask her later. He didn't get much time to dwell because they soon came across the prison room, where a couple of Desians were beating down some captives, one of which was familiar. Chocolat spotted them and gasped, calling out for Colette. Lloyd's heart fell in his chest and his gripped the hilts of his swords, restraining himself from cutting down- wait…. No, this was a different situation, he wasn't here for Cruxis, he wasn't here to keep up an image, he was here to stop the tree, to save the world- and the people right in front of him.

So…that meant…

"Take this-!" a Desian cried.

Lloyd snapped out of his stupor and brought his swords out, slashing at the Desian's throat. The half-elf fell to the ground with a thud, his companion rushing in.

"Take _this_," Lloyd glared, executing a Heavy Tiger Blade.

The others joined in and as Lloyd fought he felt a strange sense of…liberation. That was it, he felt like he'd been freed. He was doing what he wanted to do, not what he had to do; he was beating the life out of those Desian bastards and saving their victims instead of turning aside. He'd never really taken time to appreciate that ability before he'd been taken…

Oh but he appreciated it now.

"Is everyone all right?"

"Yes, the other prisoners made a break for it when we heard you were here," said an older man.

"Uh…" Chocolat trailed, fidgeting as she took in the group, "I…"

"If you don't want to be saved by us just think that the Chosen saved you," Genis smiled weakly, trying to ease the situation.

"Yeah," Lloyd said, hesitating slightly "Go ahead and get out of here with everyone else, Chocolat…we'll take care of things."

He couldn't meet her eyes. Then, he supposed it made sense he couldn't do that. Hearing her talks made him think back to the girl in the island ranch, how he'd done nothing for her, how he'd let her and all of them suffer. He heard Chocolat stammer and apology and then scamper off, the boy trying not to think too much more into it.

"I'm going with the group to the reactor."

He jerked to attention, staring in surprise at the diminuative half-elven boy that had just spoken.

"Wh- what? He stared. "Genis? You?"

"Yeah, and what's weird about that?" the boy glared up at him, crossing his arms over his chest. "We've got a job to do, so we can choose groups to take out the captives and the rest of us can go shut down the mana reactor."

"In that case I should accompany that group," Kratos stated, "you'll need someone who can operate the machinery."

"Then why doesn't he just take me, hm?" Raine asked, her eyes narrowed on him.

"While you are skilled with magitechnology you may not be able to recognize the format, and given that we have limited time it is best I should go," he stated simply.

"…Fine then, but I want to go too," she glared, crossing her arms.

"That's fine, Sis and Kratos can come," Genis said with a nod, "We do need the people that understand it- …so that means you're coming too, right Lloyd?"

"Me?" Lloyd stared at him.

"What you don't want to?"

"N- No, I didn't say that," he shook his head, "I'm just wondering why you want me to go with you…"

Of course he wanted to go, he always wanted to go where the action was, that was just the way he was. That and…again, he was finally acting on his own will, and shutting down the reactor would be the most defiant thing he could do to Yggdrasill at present. The thought was too good to pass up, and he wouldn't feel right if he was in the easy group when they were in such a dangerous situation to begin with.

"Well you've been with him a lot," Genis said somewhat hesitantly, glancing at Kratos, "So just in case…it'd be good if we had someone else who was familiar with the kind of machines and stuff, since you've been…there this whole time."

Lloyd froze, his throat seeming to get tangled up on his own breath. Pushing the feeling back, he nodded, frowning a bit.

"Yeah, I don't know as much as Pr- Raine or Dad, but I learned a little bit at least," he stated.

"Then let's hurry up and get this on with," Raine stated, "We need to shut down the reactor. Regal, you take the others and get the captives to safety."

"Of course, be careful," he nodded.

"Be careful Genis, Professor, …Lloyd…" Colette whispered, lowering her head to hide the slight blush that had come to her cheeks.

"…Yeah, be careful Colette," he said just as softly, already half-turned to follow after his father and Raine.

Raine's eyes were locked on him and Kratos the entire way, Lloyd could feel her gaze on them. It was awkward, to say the least, and while Lloyd half wanted to start a conversation, he found himself closing up more instead. That was all right, though, because Genis was attempting to talk for them.

"All right, so, uh…we gotta hurry, so we can make sure the tree- uh- you know, we're gonna stop it, right?"

…Though he wasn't doing too well with it either.

"Yes, so let's cut the chat and hurry," Kratos stated simply.

Genis sighed and Lloyd couldn't help but sigh a bit himself. How was it that with less of the group it was actually more awkward? That didn't seem to make sense at all. Oh well, they were spared from that when they came across some more Desians, which Lloyd proceeded to act his stress out on. Truthfully he felt guilty, in the pit of his gut, for actually enjoying fighting them, but…

"That must be the mana reactor!" Genis' voice called.

He looked up and they found that they indeed where in a room with a large glowing pit beneath them, however, there was a bigger problem as what was in front of it. Forcystus stood, ready and waiting, his cannon ready to fire and his good eye narrowed on them.

"Well well, if it isn't Lord Lloyd and Lord Kratos…and here I thought you actually could be trusted," he stated coldly.

"Forcystus," Lloyd stared a bit, thinking back to their encounter in Welgaia, "…Forcystus, stop, you don't have to do this. If we don't shut down that reactor than the worlds will both die, you know that, don't you?"

"Lord Yggdrasill's orders are absolute," the man hissed, glowering at the two of them, "We don't need this world, we have Derris-Kharlan!"

"Oh, right, like that's such a wonderful place to live," Lloyd spat, glaring, "No stars, no grass, you can't tell day from night, but if you like endless clouds and cold stone, yeah, it's just fantastic."

"It's the motherland of elven blood," he snarled, glaring at Lloyd, "You wouldn't know to give it the respect it deserves!"

"Still, you can't possibly be okay with letting the worlds die! All the people on them! Damn it, Forcystus, I know you hate humans but I know you're not that cold!" Lloyd shouted, stomping his foot, clenching his fists at his side. "Think about it! There are so many people- half-elves too! There are half-elves that'll die too if you don't stop this!"

"If they weren't with us they were against us! Just like your two friends here!" he snapped, pointing at the Sages who flinched. "They're traitors to our kind, I don't' care what happens-"

"That's bullshit!" Lloyd snapped again. "Didn't you become a hero because you killed people that were killing innocent half-elves? Isn't that why everyone respected you? If you do this you're letting far more die than you saved to begin with! Did Cruxis really drain you of your ideals that much?"

"And you dare to say such a thing to me?" he snarled. "My 'Lord', isn't that a bit hypocritical?"

Lloyd flinched.

"I…I…we don't' have time for this!" he shook his head, pulling out his swords. "We won't let this happen, Forcystus, step aside!"

"You will not get passed me!"

Lloyd rushed in, Kratos right behind him as Genis began chanting rapidly, Raine preparing a defensive spell to aid them. Of course, like the other Desian Elite, Forcystus had several aides, in the form of magitech droids. They themselves were not too much of a threat, unless you were stationary, however half of their battling party was. Lloyd began to hack at the first droid which was preparing a spell, most likely at Genis, trying to stop it from interfering with the mage's casting. Kratos meanwhile exchanged a deadly dance of kicks and swipes, creating a flurry of violent motion. Lloyd put his focus on the droids, letting his father handle Forcystus, though truthfully he wanted to fight Forcystus himself. That was more his frustration, though, as another part of him really didn't want to fight him at all. Forcystus had seemed different than the others, and that day on Welgaia, he almost thought…that maybe, by some miracle, they might've actually been able to get along- okay, at least, anyway…

"Air Thrust!"

Lloyd's train of thought was interrupted and he jumped to the side out of the spell's range, amazed that the Desian actually managed to cast it while his father was fighting him, though maybe he was interfered with by some more droids. Turning his attention back to the nearest droid Lloyd proceeded to try to put it out of commission, scolding himself for having gotten lost in his thoughts. Ugh, if he kept doing stuff like that he was going to get killed-

A foot collided with his gut and sent him flying.

He barely registered what was happening, hearing Kratos and Genis yell for him. The glow from below him let him know very well that he was falling into the reactor. That didn't seem like a good thing. He flared out his wings and zoomed back up to the floor, his wings fanned out to stop himself once he had gone high enough.

"Cheap shot!" Lloyd scowled, building up his mana. "Guess what, I can cast too, you bastard! Angel Feathers!"

Forcystus dashed to avoid the razor-sharp feathers, running right into range of the Flame Lance spell Genis has just cast. Letting out a grunt of pain the man staggered, which left just a split second in which Kratos proceeded to slash him across the chest, barely missing his vitals. Lloyd rushed in with a dive, folding his wings back behind him to increase his speed, flaring them out at the right time to stop himself right behind Forcystus to slash him across the back.

"Beast!" he shouted, forcing the Desian forward.

"Aqua Laser!" Genis cast.

Forcystus gasped as the wave of water hit him, knocking him back into the reactor himself.

"Kratos, shut it down!" Raine snapped, rushing to her brother to check him for wounds. "I'll heal the boys!"

Lloyd dismissed his wings and scanned the Sages real quick, seeing that the slight wounds they had sustained were being taken care of. Despite some electric burns and an aching midriff, he himself was fine, though he would have to get them treated as well. He looked over to his father at the machine and went to walk toward him, only to have his arm pulled back by Raine.

"Hold still," she stated, placing her hands over a cut on his arm he probably sustained from a wind spell, "I'll heal you."

He didn't protest as she healed his wounds, looking at his father as the machine's hum died down, the glow disappearing with it. The reactor had stopped, and Forcystus has perished in it… He felt relief for a split second before he remembered the mana cannon still had to be fired, they had to get out and give the signal. He could sort out his other emotions about this later.

Hypocritical….why did it seem everything he did was hypocritical? Wasn't there one thing he could do right without being a hypocrite, without eating his own words? Was it even possible?

"We need to go," Kratos stated, walking back, "The reactor is down but we need to get the signal to Yuan as soon as possible."

"Y- Yeah, let's go," Lloyd nodded.

"We have to hurry!" Genis said, a determined expression on his face that Lloyd still felt deep down should've been on his face instead.

Going as fast as they could to find the exit, they met up with the rest of the group outside, who were just now getting the last of the captives out into the yard. Colette spotted them coming, her eyes lighting up with both relief and happiness as they came out with them.

"Is everyone okay?" Genis asked.

"Yes, we are- I'm so glad you're all safe!" she chirped.

"Now we need to get out the signal to fire the cannon-" Lloyd began.

"Lloyd!" Kratos snapped.

"Wh-?"

Another hit that took him by surprise. Damn it! He was not with it today!

"Ugh-!" he hit the dirt, feeling the burn in his back and the smell of burning fabric.

"I won't die so easily, 'my Lord'," Forcystus said mockingly.

"So this is how the Great Desian Hero meets his end," Kratos hissed, pulling out his sword, "I have to say I'm disappointed."

"Silence! Lord Yggdrasill trusted you! In the end you betray us! This is why humans can never be trusted!"

Taking one last shot the Desian let out a blast directly at Chocolat, who gasped in horror in the same split second in which Colette rushed forward, taking the hit to her shoulder herself.

"Colette-!" Lloyd gasped, having just gotten to his feet.

The blond stumbled back, dazed, Raine rushing forward to support her.

"Y- You bastard!" Lloyd shouted, rounding on Forcystus.

He didn't hesitate, just stuck his sword through the man's chest, causing him to cough up blood and saliva, his eyes misting. Lloyd felt a shudder through his body as he saw the life leave his victim's eyes, a weak smirk as he did so.

"Glory…to the coming age…" he choked out as Lloyd removed the blade.

He fell to the ground with a thud.

That familiar surge of guilt rushed through him, mingled with the newer feeling of defiance that had tweaked within him when they first arrived. Once again he pushed it aside, having more pressing concerns.

"Colette! Are you all right?" he blurted, rushing toward her.

"I- I'm fi-" she turned, then froze when she saw his face.

"Wh…what is…" Lloyd choked, staring at her bare shoulder, which was encrusted in what appeared to be blue gems.

"D- Don't' look! Don't look at me-!"

She too went to hit the floor, Lloyd running forward and catching her before she hit.

"Colette!" he cried, his face pale. "Colette, are you-?"

"She's just fainted," Raine stated, trying to take her from him, "she'll be all right."

"Lloyd, we have to send the signal," Kratos stated, his tone slightly panicked.

"But-"

"I'll send it!" Genis said, his eyes on Lloyd and Colette. "I- It's okay, I got it, take care of Colette, Lloyd."

Lloyd stared at him a moment and then nodded, turning back to looking at the unconscious girl in his arms.

Colette…she kept getting hurt right in front of his eyes, because he didn't do enough to protect her. Then why was it he still felt guilty about killing Forcystus, the one who hurt her? He did what he had to do, right? But then, did that make it right?

He didn't understand anything anymore…

**Oh YES I actually updated it! YES! YES! :D **

…**(cough) So….did you like? .'**

**Hope you did! n.n**


	23. Chapter 23

**Mkay so …well, I think we should be wrapping up shortly, I thinks. A couple more chapters maybes…**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

…**Didn't I used to have a muse for this story?**

**Colette: Uhm…yes? n.n'**

**Me: Oh, yeah I forgot about you. Hi Colette.**

**Colette: …-_-' it's…okay**

**Me: Enjoy!**

He sat by her bedside when they arrived, saying nothing to her father, grandfather, or anyone else. His friends had explained the situation and the blonde had been treated to as much as was in Raine's power, and the brown haired boy simply sat at her side. Though of course he wasn't allowed to be on his own with her.

Genis hovered a bit nearby, looking between Lloyd and Colette, a tense silence falling over them. The others were downstairs, he could hear them, he could hear everything, and yet how was it that it still sounded so deafeningly quiet. His face was furrowed into a frown as he looked at the unconscious blond, his eyes misted in thought.

"…Lloyd, she's gonna be okay," Genis spoke up, "Raine said that she'll wake up in a few minutes."

"Yeah, but what then? You saw that stuff on her body, she's sick," Lloyd bit his lip, "She's sick and …"

On his lap his fists clenched and he closed his eyes, gritting his teeth.

"I need to do something," he muttered, "I can't just- I can't just do nothing. She's right in front of me like this and- and-"

"Then don't do nothing!" Genis blurted, his eyes narrowing as he clenched his own fists. "You're here now! Help us! Stay with us again! Kratos is here too, you don't have to worry about him getting hurt, he can even stay with us too!"

Lloyd flinched and looked back that the half-elf, blinking once or twice.

"Genis- think about what you're saying," he sighed, glancing aside, "Raine wouldn't even consider that, she doesn't trust…us."

"She's wary, yeah, but she has to be," Genis sighed, "after Kratos betrayed us she can't just…but it's not like that anymore. You both just helped us, and even if she still is…like that about Kratos, we do trust you, Lloyd! Raine let you stay with us a bit the last time we met, remember? It'll be all right, Lloyd, we all want to help Colette, so why don't you just-"

"Actually, I agree."

Both boys flinched and turned to the door, where Kratos stood, Raine right behind him, eying him dangerously.

"W-? Dad?" Lloyd stood up, looking at him. "What do you mean you-?"

"Stay with them, Lloyd," he stated, looking at him, his expression unreadable.

"W- what? You mean- …really?" the teen stared back at his father, unable to understand. "But-"

"I'll return to Cruxis as Yggdrasill desires, but you are already here with your companions, you should stay with them," he explained.

"W- what? Are you crazy? If you go back but I'm not with you, he'll-"

"He won't kill me, Lloyd," Kratos furrowed his brow.

"But you'll get hurt!"

"Actually, we both came up with a plan regarding that," Raine furrowed her own face, crossing her arms.

"Sis-?" Genis' own eyes widened.

"We think it would be to all our benefits if you did stay, Lloyd," Raine looked at him, "It'd be a sure way of infiltrating Derris-Kharlan when the time comes."

"Infil-?" Lloyd's eyes widened.

"At some point we are going to need to get into Derris-Kharlan," the woman furrowed her frown, "and if we had you with us, Lloyd, that'll be all the more easy."

"What? Sis, are you nuts?" Genis stared. "Sure I'm all for letting Lloyd stay with us, but if he does that and betrays Cruxis, how the hell is that going to help us getting into Derris-Kharlan?"

"In light of the Chosen's illness, she is useless to Cruxis, thus Cruxis wants her healed as well," Kratos explained, "You want her cured for the sake of her life, we can use this to your advantage. I can return and claim that Lloyd, as your 'former' friend, managed to convince you to let him come with you, to ensure that the Chosen is healed. One of the materials needed to cure her is in Welgaia, the capital of Derris-Kharlan. I can tell Lord Yggdrasill Lloyd rejoined you in order to ensure that the Chosen was healed, and was the only one out of the pair of us who could do so, since you would obviously not have me accompany you."

"Obviously not," Raine hissed a bit, her eyes narrowed.

Kratos ignored her.

"Then when you have to go to Welgaia, I will appear and Lloyd can go through the motions of 'betraying' you, thus the two of us can take you to Welgaia and then both sneak you out and with the material you need to heal her. This will also …'prove' Lloyd's loyalty to Yggdrasill, which would excuse him from any punishment he would receive from having assisted you during this incident."

The two boys stared at their respective relatives, trying to think out what it meant, and if this would be the best course of action.

"This- wait, but…why would you do this?" Lloyd shook his head, looking at Raine. "You could just tell us both to bug off and we could still do that thing 'capturing' you later, why would you need me here for that? And how do you know you can trust us not to really 'catch' you-?"

"Because if Kratos had known we would try to infiltrate Derris-Kharlan and where he could capture us, he wouldn't bother telling us if his true intention was to catch us," she sighed, rubbing her temple, "Why tell us he'd know how to catch us, if that was his intention?"

"I- okay, fine, but still, why would you-"

"Kratos has been insisting," Raine said, glancing at Kratos, who said nothing.

"…Dad?" he asked slowly, looking at the Seraph.

"…"

"Dad you…you're trying to get me to stay with them?" Lloyd said, stunned, staring at his father.

"…" he looked away, "It was my fault that you were taken to Welgaia as it was, there was nothing you did that earned you that fate. Now that the opportunity has finally presented itself, I owe it to you to give you back what you lost."

Lloyd choked, staring at him.

"Dad- but what is he going to do to you if you go back and he doesn't believe you-?"

"That's not important-"

"Yes it is!" the brunette snapped, shaking his head. "It's very important! He said he'd kill you if I ran away-!"

"He won't kill me, Lloyd," he said softly, "and if he doesn't believe me…then I'll get you a message somehow. Stay out of sight and out of danger, leave this to your friends and to me, if that does happen."

With that he turned and headed for the door. Lloyd jolted and jumped to his feet, running after the Seraph with a hand going for his shoulder.

"Dad, wait-!"

A sudden pain was felt at the back of his head and he collapsed onto the ground, his vision going blurry. With a cry of pain he looked up as Kratos scooped him up and carried him downstairs, placing him gently on the sofa.

"I'm sorry," he said, then turned and walked away as his son's eyes closed.

"Dad-!" he blurted, sitting upright.

* * *

A splitting pain went through his head and he clutched it, wincing, attempting to make sense of his surroundings. Where was-? Colette's living room. He was in Colette's living room…

Wait! Where had he-?

"Kratos is gone, Lloyd," Raine's voice said softly.

Lloyd whipped his head around, seeing Raine waking up to him, Genis warily following her.

"What-? H- how long was I out-?" he gasped, his eyes widening.

"Only about twenty minutes," Genis said anxiously, looking between his sister and his friend.

Lloyd choked and made a dash for the door, Raine grabbing the ribbons on his shirt and yanking him back. The teen let out a yelp and then went to yank away; perfectly capable of doing such, but he froze when he felt Raine's hand smack across his face.

"Ugh-!" he gasped.

"Si- sis? What are you doing-?"

"He's long gone, you should know better than us how fast he can travel," she said flatly, eying him, "If you go now, Yggdrasill will know the story he's giving him is false without a doubt. You'll get both of yourselves killed."

"I- but-" he stammered, panicked, scanning her, "Wh- why? Why are you doing this? Why could you possibly want me here after all-?"

"It doesn't matter now, fact is, it's done," she huffed, releasing him, "Unless you want both of yourselves dead you have to go along with it now."

"I…" Lloyd choked, staring at her and then at the door, his fists clenched at his sides.

"…Kratos said we should look up the Kharlan War and something about remembering what the Unicorn said…" Genis said hesitantly.

"Wha-? Oh! For Colette…" he frowned, furrowing his brow, "Yeah…I guess he would know something about it- darn it, why couldn't he have just told us?"

"He suggested the archives in Meltokio Castle," Raine stated, "He believes with Zelos we can manage to get in there to find the cure and the method."

Lloyd said nothing, biting his lip. He had really…been left behind? Kratos really didn't…wait, why was he upset about this? Isn't this what he wanted? To come back with his friends? Even so, while he knew Genis and Colette'd be happy to have him…all the others- they could tolerate him, he knew that from the time he had spent with them prior to this, but he wasn't dense enough not to know things were going to get very tense.

"I- is Colette up yet?" he asked, turning to them and trying to ignore the twisting feeling in his gut that had come from being left behind.

"Not yet," Genis shook his head.

"The others are in town," Raine stated, looking at the door, "Gathering supplies…I figured it was best if the lot of us didn't walk around, seeing how you boys were banished and no doubt we'll be blamed for the tower's disappearance-"

"Disappearance?" Lloyd flinched, directing his attention to her again. "What tower-? You mean the Tower of Salvation?"

"Yes, it disappeared," Raine nodded, "the people obviously aren't taking this very well…after what's happened and the symbol of salvation disappearing, it's a major blow...another reason we're staying under the radar here."

Lloyd flinched and then groaned, plopping back onto the couch, holding his head in his hands, trying to pull himself together with everything that had happened. He couldn't believe he had been left behind…

"Lloyd."

He looked up to see Genis frowning down at him, the young half-elven boy looking just as lost in thought as he was. They merely looked at each other a moment before the younger boy stuck his hand out to the brunette, who blinked, staring at it.

"We need to heal Colette, and I know you really want to help her too," Genis said, a determined expression on his face, "We just need to start with what we can do now, right? Didn't you tell me that once? I know you're worried about Kratos but…right now what you can help us with- what we can do, is help her."

The teen stared up at him a moment before a smirk cracked his lips and he closed his eyes, shaking his head a bit. He had said that before, hadn't he? Funny how his own words were coming back to console him. Genis was right; he knew that…and he couldn't just leave Colette alone in this condition anyway. If Kratos hadn't left him behind…well, he probably wouldn't have really wanted to go back with him anyway-not that he ever wanted to go back there in the first place.

"Okay then…" he said, getting to his feet.

He held out his own red-clad hand to the half-elf, who smiled and took it in turn. Genis beamed at him and Lloyd nearly pulled away before hesitating just a moment.

"Thanks Lloyd- …Lloyd-?"

Lloyd smiled and pulled the child into a quick hug, patting his back.

"W- wha-?"

"I missed you buddy," he muttered, and then pushed him away just as quickly, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck.

Genis just stared at him, as did Raine, who despite it broke the silence with a soft laugh, shaking her head.

"Unbelievable," she smirked, "what's the matter? Are you embarrassed?"

"N- hey he hugged me-!" her brother flushed.

"This never happened," Lloyd said flatly, glaring back at Raine from the corner of his eye.

She raised an eyebrow at him and then smirked, crossing her arms after giving a shrug.

"Right then, whatever you say," she chuckled and then suddenly grew serious, "Now then, as soon as Colette wakes we should be getting back to Tethe'alla…though we do have to make another stop first."

"What? But I thought the most important thing was-" Lloyd began.

"We have to tell Dirk about the escapees who need key-crests," she said flatly, eyes narrowing on him.

He choked.

Dirk…Dad…

Lloyd flashed back to the conversation he had with Kratos, when the Seraph asked him if he wanted to visit his dwarven adopted father. Sure he missed the old dwarf, but after all this…what could he say to him? Kratos told him that he wouldn't hate him, and he himself said he'd see him again once he was on the 'right path'…and…he was now- wasn't he? He wasn't playing Yggdrasill's games anymore, though if things went as planned he was going to pretend to go along with it…

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Raine said, "I realize you may be…conflicted about doing such. You can wait here, I suppose, but he will ask where you are if we show up with you…he was already worried when we saw him to get an exsphere shard while we were trying to make contact with Aska-"

"W- what? You saw him already?" he blurted, paled. "W- what did you tell him?"

"…We told him that you were all right," Genis answered instead, fidgeting a bit, "But that you were…doing something you had to do."

Lloyd stared at him and then groaned, rubbing his face.

"So he's…worried about me, isn't he?" he muttered.

"Well it's obvious he would be, what did you expect?" Raine said curtly.

The teen flinched and glared at her a second before turning, shaking his head with a sigh. Now what? He couldn't just …not show up, now, if Dirk had been worried about him anyway.

"…" Raine sighed, shaking her head, "I'm sorry. …We didn't trust you earlier and because of that this whole fiasco happened in the first place. You- …I'll try to be a bit more hospitable to you, Lloyd."

Lloyd blinked and looked back at her, scanning her features. She was serious? Really? After all that… A weak smile came to his face and he shook his head.

"No- it's okay…Professor," he said hesitantly, watching her for her reaction.

She twitched a bit and he almost expected her to scowl at him for using his old title for her. Instead she simply ignored it, looking toward the stairs.

"She should be up shortly, so do you want to come with us to Dirk's or do you want to wait?" the half-elf asked.

"…" he frowned, thinking it over again.

Was this the 'right path' he said he'd find before seeing Dirk again? Was this right? Was this okay?

"Lloyd-? You're still here!"

Her flinched and they whipped their heads to the stairs, where Colette had descended. Aside from looking tired, she appeared to be fine, a huge grin on her face as she locked eyes with Lloyd.

"Co-?" he began.

Before he could say anything else, she had cleared the room and ran to him, embracing him in a tight hug. His eyes widened and he flushed just a bit, putting his arms around her in a hug as well.

"I- I thought you'd be gone before I woke up! I didn't want you to leave before I could say goodbye-" she stuttered.

"I'm still here, Colette," he said, "I'm...gonna stay here this time."

"What?" she drew back, looking up at him.

"Dad- Kratos left mere here," he said, trying to keep the distraught out of his voice and expression so as not to bother her, "So I'm going to come with all of you and help heal you, okay?"

"You..will? You're not going to leave?" she asked, hopeful, staring up at him.

"Yeah," he smiled, deciding to tell her the details later, "I am. I'm going to make sure I help you this time, Colette- that is, everyone is going to help you; just this time I'll just be able to help you too."

She grinned at him and hugged him again, Lloyd feeling his cheeks burn slightly again. After a moment she pulled back, looking around, and then frowning.

"Wait, where's Kratos? Isn't he here with you?"

He looked away.

"Oh- oh…Lloyd I'm so sorry," she frowned, "I didn't mean to upset you- he went back?"

Lloyd sighed and nodded, but shook it off in turn for a smile to reassure her.

"Yeah, but he'll check in later," he said, hoping that that was true, "Look, don't worry about that, are you feeling any better? Are you okay to travel?"

She nodded with a smile, fidgeting her fingers.

"Uh-huh, so we can get going as soon as everyone is together," she chirped, and then her smile faltered, "…I'm sorry."

"What-? Colette, what on earth are you apologizing for now?" he sighed.

"I've caused trouble for everyone," she frowned, "with…my body becoming like this, I've made more trouble for everyone-"

"Colette, no," he said flatly, "Look, none of this is your fault; you don't have to apologize to anyone, much less…me."

She looked up at him and began to speak when he cut her off.

"Colette, I promise…I'm going to do the right thing this time," he said, gently taking her hand, "I promise."

Colette just stared at him a moment before smiling and the Sages did too, just a bit.

They knew Lloyd meant it.

**Yaaay an update! I'm guessing two more chapters…hope you enjoyed! **


	24. Chapter 24

**Lo and behold, mortals, the apocalypse is upon thee, as this fic has updated.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

He was a damn coward.

Here he was, waiting in the woods with his home just down the path, and he couldn't bring himself to go down it. Did he want to see his foster father? Yes, of course he did. Could he bring himself? No. What a spineless hypocrite he was…

With a deep sigh he rubbed his face, feeling the familiar fabric of the red gloves against his skin.

_It's not too late you know, you can still go in._

The teen frowned and glanced down at Noishe, who sat at his side, head tilted up at him while his large, rabbit-like ear twitched on random intervals.

"I- I know I should, Noishe," he sighed again, frowning deeply, "And I want to but-"

_You're scared. That's obvious, Lloyd, and I guess I can see why, but you can still do it._

"He'll be ashamed of me…" he murmured, his face falling.

_Disappointed, sure, but I doubt 'ashamed'. Besides, you're doing the right thing now, aren't you?_

"I- I think I am," he fidgeted, shifting his weight onto his other leg, "But I haven't actually…done anything yet, I haven't made up for anything…sure I've decided I'm going to make up for it, but I haven't actually done it yet…"

_I disagree, _Noishe shook his head _You've done plenty. You helped your friends when you could, didn't you? _

"Yeah," he muttered bitterly, "And I attacked them and lured them into traps and was an ass to them in every respect."

_Even if that's true, Lloyd, I seriously doubt that you ever really wanted to do anything to hurt them, or anything to help Cruxis. In fact to me it looks like everything you've done was to help somebody else. You stuck around Cruxis for Kratos, and you kept trying to find out ways to help…I think you need to give yourself just a little more credit._

Lloyd sighed again, leaning against the tree and looking up at the sky, wondering if Kratos was already up there, wondered if he was okay…

_Besides, Dirk probably has some scraps I can eat, and I'm starving._

"…Wow, Noishe, just wow."

'_Pets' need to eat too!_

"Hey, what are you and the mutt rambling about?"

Lloyd twitched a b it and looked over the one that had been 'elected' to watch them, namely, Zelos. The red-head was lax in posture, but his eyes hadn't lost any of their intensity as he'd watched them this whole time.

"I knew you knew he could talk," Lloyd huffed in response, glancing back at the Chosen of Tethe'alla.

"Heh, well of course, I know a lot of things," Zelos smirked darkly, scanning the pair.

"I guess that comes with milking all the sides…" Lloyd murmured a bit.

"Didn't we have this conversation before, bud?" Zelos raised an eyebrow. "The one about you doing the same thing-?"

"Well, I'm not anymore!" he snapped a little quicker than he intended to. "I'm working with them and I'm being honest with them!"

"Not entirely," he smirked again, "You haven't told them what you know about me, now have you? All's well, of course, because I mean if you did, I wouldn't have any reason not to tell dear old Yggie about this little plan, hm?"

Lloyd gritted his teeth.

"Hey, hey, Bud, relax," Zelos shrugged, "Thin about it, if I'd ratted you out already wouldn't Cruxis be here kicking your ass about now? I haven't said a word, and I won't, provided you keep your little end of our deal."

Lloyd sighed, glancing aside.

"Not like I have a choice now do I?" he muttered.

"You have a choice, it's just not a very good one, that's life," the redhead shrugged, "So, that said, guess we're going to go about healing the little angel now, hm? I'm sure you're glad to do that, you kind of have a thing for her, don't you?"

Lloyd glared at him.

"That's a yes then? Heh, aw, young love, how sweet," he laughed, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "But I'd wait until she was cured to make your move and all, seeing as her body is a little lizard-ish at the moment-"

"Don't make fun of her!"

"All right, geez," Zelos rolled his eyes, "So defensive…"

Lloyd sighed, leaning back and rubbing his face a bit, trying to collect himself.

"What do you want, Zelos? What's your goal? Why are you doing all of this?"

The redhead looked at him a long moment, his expression uncharacteristically serious, his blue eyes narrowed on him. Lloyd fidgeted slightly under his gaze and Zelos finally went to speak-

"Okay, guys, we're back," Sheena's voice cut in.

"Were there any problems?" Raine asked, scanning them quickly.

"Not at all my sweet hunny," Zelos winked at her, his obnoxious grin back on his face.

"Well, that's a relief," she ignored the last part.

"Did…how was he? Was he okay?" Lloyd asked hesitantly, scanning the group. "What did he say?"

"Just what we assumed he'd say, he doesn't know anything about Cruxis Crystals, I suppose we'll just have to go get the information from the archives in Meltokio like Kratos suggested," Raine sighed rubbing her face, "I had hoped we'd get some additional information but…"

"Uhm, he asked if you were okay, Lloyd," Colette spoke up, looking at the brown haired male, "We told him you were okay and that you were going to see him when you could."

Lloyd looked at her a moment and then nodded, biting his lip and glancing away with a quick 'thank you' to his blonde childhood friend. Once again he felt the guilt but he struggled to push it way. Right now they had to heal Colette, that was the priority right now. He'd come back later, like he promised, come back and tell his father everything.

"All right, so the Meltokio Castle?" Lloyd asked. "That shouldn't be too hard, right? I mean Zelos knows the king and all-"

"Oh yeah, he doesn't know…" Genis frowned.

"Huh? I don't know what?"

"Due to some…circumstances, the King believes that we were involved in an attempt at treason to the throne, to put it simply, we are wanted," Regal informed him, closing his eyes.

Lloyd stared at them a moment.

"Wh-?" he sighed, shaking his head. "Okay, okay no big deal, we'll just have to sneak in somehow right?"

"Leave that to me," Zelos nodded, smirking a bit, "I can handle this."

"…Can you?" Lloyd asked, eyeing the man warily.

This could be a trap for all they knew, if Zelos was the one that was saying it. Zelos scoffed mockingly and looked at him, feigning offense.

"What? Why wouldn't you? I want to cure the little angel too, don't I?" his eyes narrowed a bit.

Yes…Cruxis wanted her cured too, and seeing as they were allies now Yuan probably didn't want an ally dead, right? So all sides wanted her cured, so Zelos wasn't going to get in the way of that, yet, there was no gain in it for him…

"Yeah, all right," Lloyd looked away, " Please…show us the way in."

"All righty then, my hunnies, we're off!"

He hoped this was the right thing to do..

* * *

"Are you sure this is the best way in?"

"Of course it is, we've been using this route the entire time," Zelos scoffed, leaning under the stone heading past the broken bars.

"Yeah, it's kind of gross but hey…beggars can't be choosers," Genis shrugged.

"Ugh…it stinks," Lloyd grimaced a bit.

"Huh? Well yeah, but it's not really bad until we get inside-"

"Yeah, it does smell bad," Colette smiled weakly, "But we'll hurry through best we can."

"Colette and Lloyd are both angels," Presea stated, "I assume they could detect something more strongly than we can, even smells."

Lloyd twitched a bit but nodded, turning his attention into the sewers.

"I can hear all sorts of stuff in there…are there monsters?" Lloyd frowned, looking down at Genis.

"Yeah, there are, but none of them are really tough," the half-elf shrugged.

"There are monsters under the city?" Lloyd stared a bit. "Like if someone uncovered a manhole they could just come right up?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Uh…y'know…I never thought of it like that," Sheena crossed her arms, looking uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Well, that just made me a little more paranoid," Zelos grimaced, " so like I could be in the bathroom and a slug could just climb out of the toilet?"

"Ugh! Gross!" Sheena shivered.

"The idea is rather unpleasant," Regal stated.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry I mentioned it, let's just go in and get this over with," Lloyd shivered slightly too, looking into the dark tunnel.

They did so, and while the smell had gotten progressively worse as a result of them, Lloyd managed to see better than his companions did, with the exception of Colette. Strangely enough, despite the rather…well, disgusting setting, it did feel nice to be traveling around with his friends again. Going through some dark, creepy place fighting monsters wasn't exactly something rare during their journey, it kinda felt like old times…except for the things they kept running into that made a few of them nearly vomit on occasion.

Though it was pretty uneventful, really, until they got to the end.

"Hey, I hear someone…" Lloyd frowned.

"Should we stop?" Colette hesitated. "Will we get caught?"

"Who would be down here? Sounds fishy to me…" Sheena frowned.

"I think we should investigate," Regal stated, "I agree that something doesn't feel right."

"It doesn't sound like there are too many…" Lloyd frowned. "Someone named…Vharley-"

"Vharley?" Presea and Regal snapped.

Lloyd almost jumped.

"Uh- yeah-"

The pink haired girl and the blue haired man ran off from the group in less than an instant.

"Huh-?" Lloyd stared a bit.

"We'll explain later! Let's go!" Genis said, running off after them.

Lloyd hesitated just a second when Colette took his hand. He stiffened a bit and looked at her, their eyes meeting.

"Let's go, Lloyd," she said.

All he could manage was a nod.

They were behind the group, but they could hear the happenings quite clearly. Lloyd heard someone talking about poison, that they had been poisoning the King slowly. The man providing it seemed to be the one called Vharley, and apparently he had been in league with the Pope. By the time they got there, Vharley was already dead, Presea and Regal standing over his body as well as the soldier he had been speaking with.

"Vharley was working for Rodyle, he attached an exsphere to Presea's sister, and Regal fell in love with her but then she turned into a monster and…" Colette explained quietly.

Lloyd flinched.

"I see," he said quietly.

He didn't need to hear anymore. He knew the only way that story could end, that and it made a lot of sense really. Regal didn't seem like the type to commit a crime, but to blame himself for killing someone? Yeah, from what he knew of the man that seemed a lot like him. Or perhaps it was just his experience with his own father, how Kratos blamed himself for what happened to his own mother…

"This could be our ticket it," Raine stated, examining the bodies, "If the Pope has been poisoning the king we can confront him and get the cure. I'm sure his majesty will be far more lenient with us going through the archives if we save his life."

"Well that's a little cold…" Sheena frowned.

"I'm just stating the facts," Raine said, "We need to cure Colette, don't we? The king will be in our debt and help us, and we'l l be saving his life as well, won't we?"

"We're going to do this anyway, right? Let's not worry about why we're doing it then," Genis said, though he looked a little bothered by his sister's logic as well.

"The Cathedral then?" Lloyd asked.

"Yeah," Genis nodded, "C'mon, let's hurry."

The group cast their glances at Regal and Presea, who had said nothing, both of the staring into space, silent. Lloyd hesitated just a second before stepping forward.

"Guys…we can go on ahead if you need a moment," he said, unsure whether or not he had the right to be saying such.

Presea and Regal glanced at him, scanning him a moment before Presea stepped forward.

"No, we will help," she nodded.

"Yes, let's be on our way," Regal concurred a moment after.

Meltokio was even bigger on the inside than it looked to be on the outside. Lloyd stared around a bit, surprised at the sheer size of the place. Welgaia, truthfully, was about this big but this place was vastly different in the fact it was actually..populated. There were people, people that bustled about, going about their lives, shopping, talking, walking, off here or there, doing something. The entire place buzzed with activity, buzzed with life, it was entirely different from that stupid comet….

He felt a little uncomfortable going into the cathedral, ever since the truth about the religion of the two worlds became apparent, it's not like he'd been very keen on going near a place like this again. Any place that praised Cruxis and worshipped a poor dead woman that was nothing but a woman, was of course going to bother him a significant amount.

Still the place looked deserted, which worked to their agenda so no one was willing to look a gift horse in the mouse. They made it into the Pope's room with very little problem, as it turned out the Pope seemed to have been expecting someone, he merely didn't get whom he had been expecting.

"Hello, your holiness," Zelos smirked darkly, his eyes narrowed.

"Wh-! Ch- Chosen? What are you doing here?" the fat old man stumbled back, staring at the group.

"We came to have a little…chat, with you," Raine stated, her own eyes narrowed on him as well, "Where is the antidote to the poison you've been giving the king?"

"What-? I- I don't know what you're talking about-"

"Oh really? Well then we'll just have you drink this," Raine held up the vial that contained the poison she had taken from Vharley earlier. "IT doesn't take effect immediately after all."

"I- The antidote is in the drawer!"

Lloyd moved past and quickly picked the lock on the drawer, pulling it open and searching it for anything that looked like it could contain the antidote they were looking for. After a second he located the vial, picking up and scanning it.

"Got it," he said, turning to look at them. "Now we just have to turn this lardball over-"

"Lardball-? Why you little- none of you will get away with this!"

"I think that's unlikely," Regal stated, his eyes narrowed, "You'll be put on trial for your crimes…all of them."

"You! You were supposed to bring that Chosen in, not join with them!" he shouted, pointing at Colette.

"Do not try to direct blame onto anyone other than yourself for your own actions," Presea hissed, "You're lucky we don't kill you right now-"

She had barely spoken when the Pope jerked away, slamming a button under one shelf.

"The knights will be in here soon, and they'll kill all you intruding dogs!" he snapped, the bookshelf sliding aside behind him to show a secret passage.

He was half-gone by the time security ran in, Presea turning to them.

"I will take care of them," she stated, "Get him, I will catch up with you."

The group only hesitated a second before doing so, chasing the fat clergyman into the passage, emerging inside the palace.

Where they were immediately 'greeted' by guards.

"Ch- Chosen one!" one said, spotting Zelos.

"Forgive us, Chosen, but we have to dispose of you-" the other said, hesitant.

"Uh- what do we do-?" Colette hesitated quickly, then frowned, looking over her shoulder.

Lloyd realized what she had thought up before she had the chance to go through with it. Lloyd frowned and spread his wings, shocking his friends but more importantly, the guards.

"Aah-!"

"A- An angel?"

"You've been deceived by the pope and his followers, as have the king and his kingdom," Lloyd stated strongly, keeping his face straight as he tried to mimic himself during his soulless 'experience', "Cruxis' will is that they be brought to justice and the crimes against the Chosen of Tethe'alla dropped, the names of all his companions cleared, and the cooperation of the king."

"P- Please- whatever you say, oh holy one!"

"Yes! Forgive us, holy one! Forgive us, Chosen one!"

"Of course I shall forgive you," Zelos said, easing into the charade as well, "But if Cruxis' will is not carried out as per the orders of this angel, I'm not sure he will share my mercy, so I suggest you get moving."

They didn't need to be told twice, within a second they were gone and Lloyd dispelled his wings, letting out a deep sigh of relief, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I thought we were in trouble for a second…" he said.

"Are you sure that was wise?" Raine eyed him. "If word gets to Cruxis somehow that you've been going around giving false decrees like that…"

"Hey, even if they did hear, that plays into the old man's plan, right?" Zelos shrugged. "Cruxis is supposed to be thinking he's playing us to heal the little angel, and as long as it gets her healed, do you really think he'll care?"

"Yes," Presea stated, "If he was willing to risk both worlds for Martel, I suppose what Yggdrasill considers necessary for his plans are not always very…logical."

"Hm, well…I suppose it's done with now," Raine sighed, rubbing her face.

"We should hurry and get the cure to the king," Sheena said, shifting her weight to her other leg.

"Yes, we'll need his permission to get into the archives," the professor nodded.

"Or we could just have Lloyd scare them again," Genis shrugged, "But we need to save him anyway, I mean….it's only right."

"Uh huh!" Colette nodded rapidly. "Let's go! "

Though thinking about it now, Lloyd was worried if maybe he should have really done that…

…**okay more than two more chapters :/ I don't know how long it's going to be lol, but it's better that I'm not trying to cram everything together, I think**

**Hope you liked **


	25. Chapter 25

**Okie doke, I know it's been a while but let's try to get this thing on its butt again shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Apparently not even muses anymore, where the heck did my muses go? O.o**

"Well that wasn't so bad, two down, right?"

Lloyd surveyed his friends, noticing how they all seemed to be a great deal more tired than he felt. He tried to ignore how he hadn't even broken a sweat while his friends were straining to catch their breath, but he knew perfectly well the reasoning was behind his newly acquired change in species.

"Is everyone okay?" Colette asked, worried for her companions.

At least Colette didn't seem bothered, it made him feel a little better knowing he wasn't the odd one out- well, the only odd one out, given that Colette was an angel too. Even still, though, she had to be tired…she was still sick, and he wondered how hard it was for her to force that smile. He frowned, walking over to the mana leaf herb and plucking it gently.

"Careful with that!" Raine snapped. "Let me see it!"

She snatched it from him before he even had the chance to consider handing it over, chuckling nervously as she began to enter one of her little 'modes'.

"Stupid flower- skeleton- thing," Zelos huffed, wincing as he pulled a few thorns from his arm. "I mean seriously, who would ever think up a dead dinosaur plant?"

"Well the important thing is we killed it and we got the plant, right?" Lloyd asked.

"Yeah." Genis nodded. "It took a while but we got it…that means the only thing left is the mana fragment, right?"

"Yeah-…" Lloyd frowned, biting his lip.

That meant going back. He knew they would have to, after all, that's why Kratos had left him there and gone back alone. Going back to Welgaia, back to that…that…place, and then of course he was going to have to 'betray' them all…

"M'kay then, no problem," Zelos said with a shrug. "We go there, Lloyd puts on his little theater act, we get the fragment and bam! Little Colette is healthy again!"

He tried not to flinch, but noticed all the eyes on him.

"We should get back to the storyteller and see if he can confirm this is the right plant," Regal stated.

"I'm sure it is!" Raine snapped, glaring at Regal as if he had accused her of something. "But- ..but yes, you're right…all right let's go back."

They were quiet for the most part on the way back- well, everyone but Raine. The group slowly put distance between her and themselves, Genis looking quite ready to jump into the waterfall when someone she began connecting the plant to some spiritual movement in the past thousand years…

"So, Lloyd, uh..sorry if this makes you uncomfortable or whatever, but what's the plan?"

"What?" Lloyd blinked, looking at his friend.

"For…well Kratos said he was going to be at the tower and you were going to…"

Lloyd sighed deeply, rubbing his face as he thought it over.

"I- ..I don't know, exactly, we really didn't plan it out word for word or anything," he admitted, glancing down at his exsphere. "I wish he'd stayed a little before running off like that…or that he would pop up again."

He had expected that his father would reappear at some point, at least to show him he was okay, but they hadn't seen hide nor hair of the stoic Seraph. Of course this made Lloyd worry if something had happened, but then if Yggdrasill HAD 'punished' Kratos, then he certainly would've had flocks of angels after him a moment afterward. That, and of course there was Zelos…

Lloyd glanced toward the red-head, who was currently attempting to sweet-talk Sheena, as usual. He was in league with Cruxis, just like he was in league with the Renegades, but… If Yggdrasill had done something to Kratos, then Zelos probably would have slit his throat in his sleep already, right? Or handed him over or something…on the other hand, if he was working in the Renegades favor, again he probably would have told him if something had happened to his father, because Yuan wanted them both alive, again…

"Well we still have to get Zelos' Cruxis Crystal before we get there anyway," Sheena said, trying to get the conversation moving. "So we can talk about it after we get it."

"Yeah…" Zelos frowned slightly.

Lloyd hesitated, eying the man, but said nothing. He just couldn't figure that guy out…

They re-entered the storyteller's house, and the elf confirmed the plant for them. Genis then, out of curiosity, asked what kind of stories were told there. One such 'tale' was of Mithos the Hero…

"…" Lloyd frowned, biting his lip.

The elf seemed to notice the silent tension, scanning the group.

"You already know the truth then, of that tale? That Mithos is the one that leads Cruxis as Yggdrasill."

"W- woah- how did you-?" Genis' eyes widened.

"It is obvious from the way you reacted," the elf replied, scanning them all, Lloyd in particular. "You there. You're Kratos' boy, aren't you?"

Lloyd flinched, his eyes widening just a bit.

"H- How did you know? I-"

"You exude angelic mana, as does that ill Chosen," he explained. "It's very akin to Kratos' mana, though I have only encountered him once. That and you dare share quite a resemblance."

"Oh- oh…"

"So you know do you not? How Mithos tricked Origin…"

"Wait, Origin?" Lloyd frowned. "Who is Origin?"

"Origin is the King of Spirits," Sheena explained, frowning.

"That is correct, Mithos and his companions- using the power of the Eternal Sword, granted to him by Origin- changed the nature of the two worlds, that is why his name it taboo in Heimdall."

"Wait…a sword? Yggdrasill did all this with a sword?" Lloyd furrowed his brow, thinking. "So..if he could split the world with that…"

"Then we could use it to put it back, right?" Genis asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Origin's power is vast, yes, it is possible."

"This is great!" Genis grinned. "We could use that and fix everything!"

"Yeah but…" Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, Welgaia is really huge and swarming with Yggdrasill's lackeys…I mean it's not just going to be easy to get, right? I doubt Dad could even get a hold of it…"

"We can ask Kratos about it when we see him," Raine stated. "Right now we have to focus on getting to the tower and curing Colette."

"Yeah…thank you for telling us about this." Lloyd bowed his head a bit to the elf, who nodded back.

"May the Kharlan Tree protect you."

By the time they reached the bottom and flew to the Abbey where Zelos said his sister lived, Lloyd found himself growing anxious again. He had thought that Kratos would have contact them by now, and that talk about him with the elf hadn't helped in distracting him from his father's continued absence. As worked up as he was, he almost didn't notice when they met Zelos' kid-sister, Seles, who didn't seem all that happy to see him. The two siblings exchanged a quick few sentences before Zelos left, and oddly serious frown on his face.

"…Stay safe," Seles murmured.

"He couldn't hear that, you know," Lloyd said, eyeing her.

"W- Well I didn't say anything, so it doesn't matter if my big brother couldn't hear-"

"Hah! You called him 'big brother'!" Genis smirked, crossing his arms.

"N- No I didn't! There's no way I'd have a stupid man like that for a brother! Now get out!"

Genis protested but Lloyd frowned, eying the way Zelos had left. He left the room and descended the stairs, spotting Zelos quickly by the window.

"…What do you want, angel?" Zelos cracked a weak smirk, looking back at him. "Did you get a kick out of meeting my darling little sister? I'm very loved, aren't I?"

"…She said to stay safe," Lloyd replied.

Zelos eyed him a moment, frowning, then back out the window.

"Really...I see."

"Zelos…why are you doing all this?" Lloyd frowned.

"Doing all what?" The man smirked, closing his eyes.

"…You really care about her."

"Your point?" Zelos snapped a little more harshly than one would expect.

"What you're doing is for her?"

Silence smothered them, and Lloyd was sure neither of them breathed for a good couple of minutes. Zelos' blue eyes swept to his face, narrowing.

"You- …heh…you're sharper than I gave you credit for," he said with a slight smirk.

"Hey." Lloyd snorted, but didn't look away. "…Look, Zelos-"

"Guys, why did you run off like that?"

Zelos immediately dropped his tension, or appeared to, stuffing his hands into his pockets in his usual lax way.

"No reason, so we're off to the tower, huh? What's the plan? Are you just winging it?"

"Huh-? I…" Lloyd frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah…I guess so, I'll just have to play along with whatever Dad comes up with."

"Yup yup, sounds good, let's get a move on already!" Zelos flashed his usual grin, already halfway out the door.

Lloyd and the other watched him a moment, each one of them knew that- at least this time- he was faking that smile, just like Colette would do so very often.

The awkward silence seemed to continue to follow them as they headed for the tower, and the closer Lloyd got the more he felt the tension knot up inside his throat. He had a bad feeling about this…maybe- maybe they should wait. Wait until Kratos got a hold of them and…

"Lloyd? Are you ready? It's open."

"What-? Oh, yeah…" He nodded. "I'm..yeah, let's do this."

"I'm curious to see what the Tethe'allan Tower of Salvation is like…" Raine mused ot herself.

"It's the same," Lloyd said with a shrug, not really paying attention.

"Oh? Well that's a shame…"

"No I mean like…it's the same place," Lloyd elaborated, looking at her. "Dad told me this is where the worlds are connected so …it's like seriously the same place."

He was met with assorted stares. Colette stopped suddenly, beginning to shake just a bit.

"The..the same…place…?" She hugged herself, going pale.

"Well- Colette? Hey- Colette, are you all right?" Lloyd rushed over to her.

"I- I- …yes," she whispered meekly, nodding her head. "I'm sorry I just…I'll be okay."

"Are- are you sure? …Colette, maybe you should just wait somewhere else, I mean, it's dangerous for you to be here anyway-"

"N- No. I want to come with you, I want to help-"

"Lloyd, they're gonna be after her no matter where she is," Zelos pointed out. "Might as well take her along, better she get attacked with us than by herself, right?"

"For once we have the same opinion," Sheena remarked, crossing her arms. "Sorry Lloyd but I agree with Zelos."

"Yes…besides we have help on the inside, it'll be dangerous yes but not nearly as dangerous as it could be," Regal said.

"I'll be fine, Lloyd." Colette smiled gently at him.

"I-…okay, if you're sure, and- …just..just to get this out of the way beforehand." He frowned. "Guys if I end up having to hurt you a little bit I'm sorry in advance."

"Hey, don't worry..we'll just pay you back later, right?" Genis smirked weakly, looking up at his friend.

"…Yeah." Lloyd returned it, though even more weakly. "Okay…let's go."

They entered the main room and Lloyd did his best to maintain his composure, walking out into the room with the rest of the group. Where was Kratos? He should be meeting them there-

Just then, a small army of angels appeared, locking them in.

"Ah-!" Colette cried.

"Well now, finally came home, hm, young Lord Aurion?" Pronyma sneered from the transporter, her nose in the air as she regarded them. "Lord Yggdrasill isn't exactly pleased with you."

Okay- was- was this part of the plan? But Pronyma wasn't supposed to- no, go along with it. Just in case.

"Well, I guess he would be, but I'm sure he'll be pleased with the little presents I picked up," he said, trying to walk past the angels.

The angels knocked him back, nearly shoving him into Raine.

"See, what did I tell you, Lady Pronyma? He's still going to play like he's on our side."

Lloyd flinched, his eyes widening as Zelos walked right past the throng of angels and took his place beside Pronyma.

"Good work, Chosen One, we knew that this little urchin couldn't be trusted, just like his father."

Lloyd's eyes widened.

"Zelos?"

"W- what the hell do you think you're doing?" Sheena shouted, her eyes wide.

"Oh come ON," Zelos rolled his eyes. "Lloyd and his Old Man get to play traitor and they get welcomed back with open arms, and then I do this and you're all shocked? What a bunch of pricks!"

"N- No..." Lloyd gritted his teeth, glaring. "Zelos! Damn it you were doing this from the beginning! I thought you were- I thought you were trying to help your sister!"

Zelos' eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Like you would know what the hell my reasons are, you're such a hypocrite, you know that?" He snorted. "You kept secrets and played Cruxis for what you wanted, just like I played all of you. Don't you dare try to talk like you're better than I am, Lloyd, we're the same and you know it."

"I- I…"

"Secure them," Pronyma snapped to the angels, who grabbed the group.

"Hey-! Dammit!" Lloyd gritted his teeth, knowing they were outnumbered. "You- where's my dad? What did you do to him?"

"Lord Kratos is currently in...confinement." The woman smirked. "Lord Yggdrasill wasn't too pleased with this little scheme you had going at all. He's not going to be very merciful when he sees you, I assure you, dear young 'Lord Aurion'."

"D- Dammit! You- you bitch!"

A blade appeared within an inch of his throat.

"Now now, my hunnies," Zelos said with a smirk. "You all be good little boys and girls and this'll be over much quicker."

There wasn't much they could have done, despite knowing just in how much deep water they were in. The sting of the latest betrayal lingered upon them and Lloyd cursed himself for having not called Zelos out for what he was earlier. Stupid, so stupid he had been! If he had just been going to throw them to Cruxis like this then it didn't matter if he had exposed him earlier…

The instant they were alone in the cells Lloyd began desperately trying to open the cells, his teeth gritted in frustration and hurt.

"Dammit- stupid- Argh!"

Lloyd kicked the bars, which shuddered a bit but did not break, the teen giving another shout of frustration and grabbing the door with his hands, trying to break them open.

"Can Colette or Presea break it?" Regal called over him to the girl's cell.

"No…" Colette said quietly.

"Damn..of course," he slumped against them after a moment. "Duh…they're built to keep angels in, of course I can't break it…"

He gritted his teeth, slamming his hand against the wall.

"I was so stupid! I shouldn't have let Dad go back alone! And- Zelos- damn it!"

"There has to be a way out of here," Raine's voice called. "Lloyd, are you sure you don't know anything about this cell's structure?"

"No," Lloyd said with a deep sigh. "I've never been in this area before, I don't know anything about them…"

"Well…" Regal thought a moment. "I could try-"

Lloyd jerked.

"Someone's coming, everyone shush."

"Did I deliver or did I deliver? One traitor brat and one ready-to-go vessel right at your feet!"

"Yes, Chosen, I see that."

The group tensed as Yggdrasill approached the cells, Zelos and Pronyma tagging along behind him. Zelos merely smirked at the group, ignoring the dirty glares and hurt looks while the Cruxian Leader scanned his 'catch'.

"Welcome home, Lloyd," Yggdrasill hissed, his eyes narrowed. "Enjoy your little vacation?"

"Where's Dad?" Lloyd snapped, trying to ignore the twisting feeling in his gut. "If you did anything to him I'll-"

"Kratos is fine, but he's not going anywhere for a while. In your shoes I'd be much more worried about yourself, Lloyd."

"Go to hell!"

"And you were doing so well…" Yggdrasill tsked, shaking his head. "That's all right, a little..attitude, adjustment and you'll be serving your part again."

"Like hell I will!" Lloyd spat, gripping the bars tightly.

"Pronyma, have Lloyd taken to his room," Yggdrasill said. "I'll be there shortly to have a little..talk, with him."

"Yes sir."

Lloyd's face paled and he glanced around desperately, trying to find something that could help him. He heard Colette struggle with the bars of her cell and for a moment felt completely helpless, the angels accompanying Pronyma approaching the cell. Okay- okay maybe he should..just go. That'd get him out of the cell, he could find a chance to break away from them and come back and get the others…

He felt a surge of mana behind him, Genis, trying to cast a spell.

"No!" He whipped his head around. "No…Genis, it's okay…"

"Wh- what? But-" the young half-elf hesitated.

"I'll be okay Genis…trust me, all right?" Lloyd muttered, glancing between the approaching Cruxians and his childhood friend.

The young half-elf hesitated a moment before he frowned, dissipating the mana he had congregated. Lloyd gave him a small smile of gratitude then frowned, turning to face the escort. He had to get them out of here, and he had to find his father too..

So the group was left alone, watching their friend get taken from them yet again by another should-be ally. Genis gritted his teeth, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Why didn't they take Colette?" Sheena asked, wary.

"They probably don't have any use for her until they prepare the treatment for her," Raine explained. "They'll probably come back for her and then…"

"We have to get out of here!" Genis said, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. "There's gotta be some way-"

"Move," Regal stated, moving up to the bars.

* * *

Lloyd choked, Yggdrasill's hand closed around his throat as he pinned him against the wall, his green eyed narrowed in disdain as the twin swordsman struggled to break free, gasping. Pronyma smirked, enjoying the spectacle as Zelos leaned against the opposite wall, watching in silence.

"So…are you going to kill him?" Zelos asked, keeping his voice devoid of any concern.

"And waste a perfectly good angel? No, besides, Kratos would probably cause..problems, for me if I simply killed the boy." Yggdrasill huffed, though he did not turn to look at the man.

"M'kay…well whatever you do, have fun." Zelos said as he moved away from the wall. "But uh…I fulfilled my end of the deal so…?"

"Yes yes, of course." Yggdrasill snorted. "Pronyma, take the Chosen- take Zelos to the storeroom and give him his reward."

"As you wish, my Lord." She bowed, then headed for the door, Zelos following after her.

"Ze- Zel-" Lloyd coughed, struggling against the fingers suffocating him.

"Sorry, Lloyd, nothing personal," Zelos said as he walked by, glancing at the younger male. "Just business."

Then suddenly Lloyd found himself alone. He struggled a bit more and then found his head slammed against the wall, stars exploding in his eyes. The teen cried out and felt himself throw onto the ground, a foot pressed down on his neck.

"I had been too kind with you, Lloyd," Yggdrasill hissed, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "No matter, you shall pay the price for abusing my generosity."

Then a grip on his wrist, the hand with his exsphere pulled up. Lloyd choked, desperately trying to pull back his hand, remembering- no- no wait! No! He wasn't going to-?

"There now, Lloyd…you'll be a loyal angel again in just a moment."

Lloyd tried to scream when he felt the half-elf fiddle with his exsphere, his brown eyes widening in shock before glazing over into a dull, ruddy pit.

**Yeaaaahhh…okay that probably wasn't a nice place to leave it huh? Yeah well you asked for it so there :P**

**Review if you'd like**


	26. Chapter 26

**Wellllll…next chapter. Yes yes, took forever, however the latest chapter induced massive self-esteem murdering to me, thus I was practically cringing even thinking about writing this anymore. Still, here I am, let's make the most of it.**

**Sorry for disappearing for a couple months in general by the way…just haven't found myself able to give a crap about writing at all lately. So apologies in advance if this is unsatisfactory, but well…yeah here it is.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Zelos wasn't exactly the most 'emotional' guy , unless it involved getting some hunnies to swoon over him. No, for the most part he kept himself pretty detached, why bother with it anyway? Sooner or later he managed to drive everyone away from him. Still, even given his lack of…'feelings', he still didn't like this place.

Strolling casually through the streets of Welgaia behind Pronyma, he couldn't help but feel unnerved at the soulless drones called 'angels' floating around. It was down-right unnatural, freaky as hell, and in addition to that, they apparently didn't have any sex drives. While making it with a winged chick sounded pretty nice, even he had to admit one with no soul was definitely a turn off.

Eh, not like he was serious about that anyway. Besides, he had business to get done.

"Well, here is the storehouse, Chosen," Pronyma said as they reached the building, dismissing the guard. "As per our agreement you can take anything you wish."

He probably sounded like a downright selfish bastard, now that he thought of it. While part of his 'reward' had been to be released from his title of 'Chosen', he had in fact asked for something more. What he told them, however, was he simply wanted some of the rare materials they had on this dead rock. They actually believed he just wanted something for the monetary gain, it was almost laughable. He had all the money in the world already, why the hell would he play spy for some cash? Well, whatever, it was working to his advantage.

"Don't mind if I do, Lady Pronyma," he flashed his usual grin.

"I trust you can see yourself out?"

"Of course, not like the first time I've been here after all," he shrugged laxly, strolling into the room as if he was in no big rush.

"Hmph, well don't make a fuss on your way out. Security is tight right now because of the situation, so we don't' want any false alarms."

Zelos smirked to himself before turning to look at her over his shoulder.

"Oh trust me, Lady Pronyma, there will be no false alarms from me."

He turned back as she left, the door closing with a 'woosh'. The man glanced back at the door before quickly dashing over to the spot he'd managed to weasel out. Zelos quickly scanned through the area before accessing the correct container, smirking to himself as he pulled the chunk of metal out. To the untrained eye, it looked a lot like a massive diamond, fitting the palm of his hand. So really, it wouldn't be suspicious if some greedy traitor snatched it for his own selfish interests.

"All righty…" he said quietly to himself, pocketing the metal before closing its container. "Now to find the old man…"

He slipped from the building casually, making sure to act as if he owned the place. That tended to get positive results for him, he noticed. His blue eyes scanned the streets quickly. One or two guards drifting around, but there would no doubt be a lot of them near the rest of the group. So it'd be smarter if he raised some jail-breaks on the other side of the city to divert attention…two birds with one stone after all.

Still he had to make sure he actually found the right place…though given what he was jailed up for, he was probably in the castle itself, in the dungeon of course. That wasn't too much of a problem, he could get in there. Though he might have a problem if the guard mentioned it later…

"Chosen," a voice half snapped, half hushed.

The red-head stopped casually, glancing to the side alley. Yuan was leering at him, his hand against the wall.

'Hey," Zelos said simply, though he didn't turn to him.

"Did you-"

"The kid's in the west corridor, third room from the right," he said.

"Did you get the crest?"

"Did you get the key?"

The half-elf's eyes narrowed but he quickly tossed the small keycard, which Zelos pocketed before tossing a key-crest back to him.

"Your motives continue to perplex me, Chosen," Yuan muttered, scanning the crest.

"You and everyone else, now get moving."

Yuan didn't answer, but it didn't matter, he was already gone anyway. So that was another issue out of the way, but he still didn't know if he was going to be able to get past the guards. Yggdrasill might be getting a bit paranoid by now after all-

An alarm sounded. Zelos flinched, quickly ducking into a nearby alley. Were they on to him? Did Yuan do something? Or-

No, from the sounds of it, the rest of the group had escaped. Zelos smirked a bit, watching the guard at the entrance to the castle zipping off, leaving the way clear. So the rest of them had gotten loose and now his way into the castle dungeon was free…

It was so nice when a plan came together.

* * *

Yuan quickly slipped around the corner, eying one of the backup transports as he carried the unconscious youth over his shoulder. He supposed in a way he should be grateful Mithos had stolen the boy's soul, with his angelic authority he had no problem getting close to the boy and then knocking him out. Sure, if he had used the crest and returned his soul, he wouldn't be needing to carry him, but if he had his soul he could've fought him instead of just become some weight to carry around. It's not like he was heavy or anything, not with his angelic strength.

From the sounds of the alarms, it sounded like the rest of the group had already drawn attention to themselves. Convenient timing for his sake, and Zelos' as well. While he wasn't completely sure he could still trust Zelos, it was clear that any double-crosses to Yggdrasill at this point wouldn't make any sense. Zelos had allowed him to get a hold of Lloyd, and if Zelos didn't keep to his goal and free Kratos, then it was only a matter of time before he himself came and got him loose. If not, then the other alternative was simply that Kratos would die, and that would serve his purposes at any rate…

Lucky him.

He snorted at the thought, quickly slipping through the streets of the lifeless city. They wouldn't be after him just yet, after all, but they certainly would stop him if they saw him carrying an unconscious Lloyd around. However, if anything, Yuan was known for being…well, sneaky, for lack of a more justifying word. So it was that he did manage to escape the tower without being detected, quickly leaving the area and heading back to his base.

Though there was still the question of whether or not he should return the boy's soul now. There was a chance he might fight him, but it was more likely he would blindly take orders from him because of his position as a Seraph. If the latter, it would be much easier to just leave him as he was, at least until he managed to confront Kratos for some..bargaining.

There were times were he did stop to realize that he was what most would consider a scumbag.

Still, the half-elf managed to reach his base with the young angel. Given by the way of things, Kratos and Lloyd's group would be safely on the surface within a few hours or so. That was fine with him, he could use the time to prepare. Entering his office he walked into the adjoining room, laying Lloyd's unconscious form on the bedding. There was no point in putting him in a jail cell, if he was going to fight, he would break out of that easily with his angelic programming now in effect. Best if he stayed close by.

Yuan scanned the boy for injuries, knowing that any that were evident would certainly put a ..damper, on the negotiations with Kratos later on. He had to admit….on some level he really was disheartened to see his old friend's child in this state. The boy wasn't even eighteen, far too young to be wrapped up in a mess like this- then again, they had set the year for the Chosen's sacrifice at sixteen…feh, they were a bunch of old doddering hypocrites, no two ways about it.

The Seraph sighed, getting to his feet and turning to leave.

"Yuan."

He whipped his head around, immediately poised to attack if need be, as had become his instinct. Lloyd was sitting up, though it was obvious after just a look that the boy was devoid of his soul. His eyes were glazed, lifeless, and Yuan relaxed a bit, knowing he wasn't preparing to assault him.

"Yes," he said simply.

"…Where are we," he said flatly, unblinking.

"You have no need to concern yourself, at ease," Yuan said flatly.

"Yes sir."

That was it. Yuan frowned, scanning the teen who simply sat there, staring at the wall, not making any motions at all. He might as well have been a doll, as he had heard the describe the soulless Sylvaranti Chosen.

"…It doesn't suit you," the half-elf murmured, shaking his head. "Stay here. Don't move or do anything. Clear?"

"Yes sir."

Yuan nodded then turned again, walking to the door. It opened with its standard mechanical woosh, and the Seraph stepped forward.

Then stopped.

The half-elf frowned, glancing back at the boy. It killed Kratos, to see his son like this, and though he had only meet Anna in person once or twice, he knew she would be mortified. That and it was just….wrong, to see that fiery youth reduced to… Well, he'd gone through a lot, he could go through a little more-

Yuan frowned.

"…" the man sighed, pulling the key-crest out from his pack.

He scanned it a moment before shaking his head, walking back to the youth.

"I've gotta be losing my mind…"

* * *

Lloyd blinked. Several times, actually, he blinked, before he realized where he was. The Renegade base? How did he get here- wait, no , he remembered….blue-hair- Yuan? Yes, Yuan, cutting down some of the guards and….

"Lloyd, are you back?"

The teen blinked again, noting the hand waving back and forth past his vision.

"I…Yeah- stop that, that's annoying," he said, shaking his head.

"Well glad to see it worked," Yuan huffed a bit, pulling his hand back. "You're welcome by the way, please don't bother to try and thank me."

"Where are we?" Lloyd looked around. "This- this is the base, isn't it?"

"Your powers of observation are incredible," Yuan muttered dryly.

"But-" he jerked, eyes widening. "Where's Colette and the others? Where's Dad? What happened? How did I get here- why did you bring me-"

"Your friends are most likely at Altessa's healing the Chosen at the moment," Yuan said, getting to his feet. "Your father is probably searching for you, and I'm not sure at all what the Tethe'Allan Chosen is doing; that was quite a stunt he pulled after all."

"Zelos," Lloyd said, frowning. "He-"

"He's the one that provided that key crest for you," the half-elf interrupted. "If everything went according to plan, he freed Kratos as well."

Lloyd stared at him.

"Wh- what? But why? He betrayed us-"

"You of all people should know that a traitor isn't always what they seem," Yuan said, eyeing the teen a moment. "Now just sit tight. If the Chosen is cured by now, I imagine it's only a matter of time before your companions and Kratos come running here-"

It was just then that a deafening explosion shook the complex, ringing even louder than usual in both of the angelic males' ears.

"What the-?" Lloyd yelped, slamming his hands over his ears.

"Sir!" a Renegade soldier ran in. "The base is under attack by Cruxian angels!"

"What?" Yuan snapped, getting to his feet. "How the hell did- "

The half-elf gritted his teeth, whirling around to Lloyd and hauling him to his feet by the wrist.

"Look, listen to me carefully," the Seraph snapped. "Under that statue in the corner there's an emergency exit. Follow it and it should take you to just outside of Flanior. I suggest that you lay low there for a while, either we'll get a hold of you or your friends will-"

"Wait! Hold on a second," Lloyd interrupted, his angelic senses already picking up the sounds of fighting. "How did- "

"Everything we've strived for has been rendered useless," the man said flatly.

Something in the Seraph's tone cut through Lloyd's own questions. The blue-haired half-elf's expression at first glance was blank, it was only when one took a moment they realized the despair and desperation that had edged his expression.

"Now get out of here," Yuan snapped, shoving Lloyd towards the statue. "I have to save as many of my men as I can. Go!"

Lloyd hesitated just a second before taking a step backwards, then halting again.

"I can't just leave! Let me help-"

"Lloyd, I'm only going to say this once, so listen to me," the man cut him off, his emerald eyes meeting brown ones. "Get the Eternal Sword, chances are that I'm never going to be able to do that myself now. You and your friends are the only ones that can unite the worlds and give Martel her final rest. Everyone's fate depends on this, so Lloyd, for the love of mana, go and finish the job!"

Another explosion shook the walls and Yuan disappeared through the door with a whip of his ponytail and a swish of his cape. Lloyd's teeth grit but he quickly located the hidden passage and made his way through. He didn't stop running as he hurried through the single tunnel, the dim light overhead flickering. The path wasn't difficult at all, but he had other things on his mind. The sounds of battle behind him were echoing- however faintly- in his ears as he sped down the tunnel. How had Cruxis found the base? Had Zelos betrayed them again? Or had he never really assisted them in the first place? How else could-?

Then it dawned on him.

Lloyd skidded to a halt, quickly searching through his clothing. No- he couldn't have been bugged, could he? Yuan was too smart for that, surely he would've checked- but wouldn't that make sense? Yggdrasill must've known that Yuan'd take him and if he was bugged with some tracking gizmo then he'd find them-

Lloyd paused a moment in confusion when he found his clothing was 'clean', but- Then it dawned on him. He unsheathed his swords, then turned the sheathes upside down, shaking them. A metallic chink sounded when a small electronic device fell and hit the stone floor.

Lloyd paled, unable to do anything but stare at it for a moment. He was right. Yggdrasill had let him get taken so he could lead them to the base..

"No- Dammit!" the swordsman snapped, stomping on the device and crushing it underfoot.

Why the hell didn't Yuan think to look in his weapons? Why the hell else would Yggdrasill had left his weapons with him, didn't anyone think of that-? Th- Then again, at the time he was just another mindless angel drone, so perhaps it wasn't weird at all for Yggdrasill to have left him armed.

Dammit, there was no time for this! Lloyd dashed off again, hurrying to the city. Flanior, he'd get to Flanior and then…then what? The Eternal Sword; Yuan said to get the Eternal Sword, so he'd have to find his father. Kratos'd know how to find it, right? He knew something about his father being connected to Origin's seal, but little more than that. Where would he be though? What if he was still stuck in Welgaia? Lloyd shook his head, running faster; he'd find out what to do once he understood his situation better. There was no point in worrying about it now after all, right?

Still he couldn't help but hate himself a bit as he continued onward.

After what seemed like eternity the tunnel lead out to what appeared to be the basement of some abandoned storage building. Lloyd looked around, scanning his surroundings a moment before rushing outside. He hadn't realized how hard he was breathing until he saw his breath in misty puffs from his mouth. He figured either he should have felt hot from his running or cold from the frigid air, either way, he didn't feel any temperature difference at all. That was, aside from a slight warmth and then a pleasantly cool sensation.

Lloyd took only a couple steps before he leaned against the wall, closing his eyes just a moment to try to calm his pounding heart. He hadn't realized how tired he was until he had stopped, then his legs began to wobble a bit with strain. He groaned and slipped against the wall, taking deep breathes. What now? Should he try to find his friends or his father first? Likely they were together though, if Yuan was telling the truth. Was there any way he could help Yuan and the Renegades? Or was it already too late. Then there was the issue of Zelos, was he really still on their side?

The soft crunch of snow underfoot met his ears and his eyes snapped open, instantly jerking his eyes to the source.

"Lloyd! You're all right- what are you doing here?"

Sheena had come round the corner, Regal and Presea accompanying her. Lloyd barely had time to blink before they were by him, Sheena helping him to his feet.

Well, one step was down.

**I keep ending up prolonging this fic…just never seems like the right spot to end it…oh well, hopefully I'l manage to update something else sometime soon**

**Review?**


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